A version of this article was originally published on June 11.
This summer promises to be jam-packed for the Premier League’s best and brightest.
Euro 2024, the Copa America and also the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games in Paris are all on the agenda. All the while, the 20 teams from England’s top flight will be preparing for the start of the 2024-25 season on the weekend of August 17-18.
There will be friendlies both at home and in prestigious stadiums across the globe, with Premier League teams playing each other in the United States.
Here’s what every Premier League club has planned for pre-season…
Arsenal
Arsenal return to the U.S. this summer for their pre-season tour. The club have scheduled three friendlies. On July 24, they play Bournemouth at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, on July 27 they face Manchester United at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and then on July 31, they play Liverpool at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
As a consequence of Euro 2024, Arsenal will forego their annual trip to the Adidas HQ in Germany. Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup final means Arsenal will be absent from the Community Shield this year. Instead, friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon confirmed for August 7 and August 11 respectively.
Arsenal played Manchester United at MetLife Stadium last summer (Al Bello/Getty Images)
When are they back for pre-season training?
Arsenal’s first-team players will report back for pre-season on July 15. A group of players have been in Marbella for a ‘pre-pre-season’ mini-camp with a focus on getting fit ahead of the new season.
Those who went to the mini-camp will have a week off before reconvening for the proper start of Arsenal’s pre-season. Their under-21s are already back for their pre-season preparations.
Who might be missing when they return?
Arsenal have had 13 players involved at the 2024 European Championship and Copa America. Players are given roughly three weeks off after competing in international tournaments, so returns will likely be staggered depending on how well they do with their nations.
Of the 11 involved at the Euros, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Kieran Tierney were eliminated at the group stage. The full extent of Tierney’s hamstring injury that he sustained during Scotland’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland is not yet known but three weeks should give Zinchenko and Kiwior time to join Arsenal’s US Tour at the end of July.
Jorginho and Leandro Trossard were both eliminated in the round of 16 and both also have a chance of being on the US tour.
Those involved in the quarter-finals onwards (Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Kai Havertz and David Raya) will be monitored individually, as will Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli, who are part of the Brazil squad that play Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-finals on Saturday, July 6.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 24: vs Bournemouth (Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles)
- July 27: vs Manchester United (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles)
- July 31: vs Liverpool (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
- August 7: vs Bayer Leverkusen (Emirates Stadium)
- August 11: vs Lyon (Emirates Stadium)
James McNicholas and Art de Roché
Aston Villa
Villa will begin pre-season preparations at the start of July when the squad convene and return to the familiar coaching drillings of Unai Emery.
As is customary between the two clubs, Villa’s pre-season schedule begins on July 17 against Walsall and they will return to the Bescot Stadium in August to play Athletic Bilbao once they arrive back in England after a three-match tour of the U.S.
Before that tour, Emery’s side will also have a short stopover in Slovakia to face FC Spartak Trnava. After it, they face Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
As with last summer, Villa base themselves in Washington for the first part of the American trip, which will see them play three games across three different cities in six days.
The first fixture is against Colombus Crew on July 27, with Villa travelling to Ohio, before then playing RB Leipzig in New Jersey four days later. Villa conclude their U.S. tour by going to Chicago and taking on Mexican champions Club America.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Players will filter back to Bodymoor Heath in the coming weeks, with a significant chunk of the first-team squad and under-21s returning on July 8.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Aston Villa have seven players who have or are currently featuring for their countries at either Euro 2024 or Copa America. This includes key players such as Emiliano Martinez — who is with Argentina at Copa America and also wished to participate in the upcoming Paris Olympics next month, but was left out by head coach Javier Mascherano — Ollie Watkins and John McGinn. New signing Ian Maatsen will also return later, given his involvement with the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 17: vs Walsall (Bescot Stadium, England)
- July 20: vs Spartak Trnava (Anton Malatinsky Stadium, Trnava)
- July 27: vs Columbus Crew (Lower.com Field, Ohio)
- July 31: vs RB Leipzig (Red Bull Arena, New Jersey)
- August 3: vs Club America (Soldier Field, Chicago)
- August 7: vs Athletic Bilbao (Bescot Stadium, Walsall)
- August 10: vs Borussia Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund)
Jacob Tanswell
Bournemouth
It helps to have friends in high places — particularly your own chairman.
Bournemouth are heading stateside for their pre-season tour this summer. And thanks to their American owner Bill Foley, they’ll be put up at the five-star Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, which he bought in 2021.
The ‘Bourne in the USA’ tour (stop cringing) will comprise two matches, the first of which has been announced against Hollywood’s favourite EFL team, Wrexham, on Saturday, July 20, at Harder Stadium. Bournemouth’s second is against Arsenal in Los Angeles on July 24.
USMNT captain Tyler Adams is bound to be popular among American fans as Bournemouth make use of the training facilities of MLS team LA Galaxy.
When they return to the UK, Bournemouth will face Rayo Vallecano (August 4) and Girona (August 10) at the Vitality Stadium.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Bournemouth’s senior players are expected to report back for pre-season training in the coming days.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Players that featured in tournaments this summer will likely return to Bournemouth later than others, with Ryan Christie (Scotland), Milos Kerkez (Hungary) and Illiya Zabarnyi (Ukraine) all involved at Euro 2024.
The same goes for USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams, whose side exited the competition in the group stages, and Luis Sinisterra, who is still involved with Colombia.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 20: vs Wrexham (Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara)
- July 24: vs Arsenal (Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles)
- August 4: vs Rayo Vallecano (Vitality Stadium)
- August 10: Girona (Vitality Stadium)
Dan Barnes
Brentford
Thomas Frank’s side participated in the Premier League’s Summer Series last year and everybody involved described it as a positive experience that they would be keen to repeat in the future.
However, the event is not taking place in 2024, which means Brentford have opted for a pre-season training camp in Lisbon in July, during which they will face Portuguese giants Benfica and Estrela da Amadora.
They have also announced fixtures against Watford at Vicarage Road on August 3 and will then host German side Wolfsburg on August 9.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Brentford’s first-team squad returned to training last on June 26. They will spend the next couple of weeks being put through their paces by head coach Thomas Frank before receiving a few extra days of holiday ahead of their pre-season tour to Lisbon.
It is only a small group of players who have reported back to Jersey Road including Keane Lewis-Potter, Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey. Henry and Hickey missed the majority of last season through injury and they will be keen to reach full fitness in time for Crystal Palace’s visit on the opening weekend.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Denmark’s defeat to Germany means there are only two remaining Brentford players at the Euros. Ivan Toney will be hoping to feature in England’s quarter-final against Switzerland after coming off the bench to help them beat Slovakia but Mark Flekken is yet to feature for the Netherlands.
Ethan Pinnock can enjoy some time off after Jamaica finished bottom of their group and failed to earn a point at the Copa America. Club-record signing Igor Thiago officially joined on July 1 but will spend the next week settling into life in London.
The 23-year-old has recovered from the knee injury he suffered in April which forced him to miss Club Bruges’ final games of the season and will travel to Lisbon with his new team-mates.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 20: vs AFC Wimbledon (Plough Lane)
- July 25: vs Benfica (Estadio da Luz, Lisbon)
- July 30: vs Estrela da Amadora (behind closed doors)
- August 3: vs Watford (Vicarage Road)
- August 9: vs Wolfsburg (Gtech Community Stadium)
Jay Harris
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton are swapping west for east after taking part in the Premier League’s Summer Series in the U.S. last summer.
This time around, they are focusing on the popularity of winger Kaoru Mitoma in his homeland with a pre-season trip to Japan.
They play twice at Tokyo’s national stadium against J1 League sides Kashima Antlers on July 24 (kick-off 11am UK time) and Tokyo Verdy on July 28 (10.30am). Mitoma, ruled out since February by a back injury, is expected to play a part.
The visit to Japan is followed by a friendly away to Championship side Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday, August 3 (3pm).
That leaves scope for a home game the following weekend, in what has become a traditional curtain-raiser for the new season, against European opponents, who have yet to be named.
Brighton will play two games at the Tokyo National Stadium (Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
When are they back for pre-season training?
The players report back on Monday for their first taste of life under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler but it will be a long way from a full squad.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
There will be staggered returns for nine players involved in the European Championship and Copa America.
Hurzeler starts off without Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross, Deniz Undav, Bart Verbruggen, Billy Gilmour, Jakub Moder, Jeremy Sarmiento, Julio Enciso and Tom McGill.
Others are likely to be confined to the treatment room or gym as they recover from injuries: notably Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March, Pervis Estupinan and Evan Ferguson.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 24: vs Kashima Antlers (National Stadium, Tokyo)
- July 28: vs Tokyo Verdy (National Stadium, Tokyo)
- August 3: vs Queens Park Rangers (Loftus Road)
Andy Naylor
Chelsea
Enzo Marseca started with his players for the first time when those not involved in internationals over the summer reported back on July 4.
As things stand, no other friendlies have been arranged other than those on the club’s pre-season tour to the U.S. Chelsea had been in talks with League Two side AFC Wimbledon over playing a match before setting off across the Atlantic, although nothing has been confirmed as yet.
Chelsea are going to play five games in the space of 14 days in America, covering over 13,000 miles on the trip.
Maresca’s side have games against Wrexham, Celtic and Club America to build some momentum before the much tougher tests of Manchester City and Real Madrid. They also face Italian champions Inter on August 11, which will be Maresca’s first game in charge at Stamford Bridge.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The first-team squad reconvened on July 4 but were far below full strength.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Marc Cucurella, Mykhailo Mudryk and Djordje Petrovic will all miss the start of pre-season as they take a break after representing their nations at Euro 2024, while Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will also be late joining up with the squads after their Copa America exertions.
Depending on how far they go into their respective international tournaments, several of the above names may not be back in time to travel with the rest of the Chelsea squad to the United States for the first game of their pre-season tour against Wrexham at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 24.
Lesley Ugochukwu will miss the entirety of Chelsea’s trip to North America after the club gave permission for him to represent France in the 2024 Olympic men’s football tournament, which runs from July 24 to August 9.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 24: vs Wrexham (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
- July 27: vs Celtic (Notre Dame Stadium, Indiana)
- July 31: vs Club America (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
- August 3: vs Manchester City (Ohio Stadium, Columbus)
- August 6: vs Real Madrid (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
- August 11: vs Inter (Stamford Bridge)
Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey
Crystal Palace
Palace will return to the U.S. this summer, participating in a mini-tour alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United.
They will play Wolves on Wednesday, July 31, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium — the stadium their former sister team Crystal Palace Baltimore called home for a season.
They then face West Ham on Saturday, August 3, before returning to the UK, taking on Nantes at Selhurst Park.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Palace’s players returned to training on July 2.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Palace will be without many of their key players for the start of pre-season training.
Michael Olise, who is expected to join Bayern Munich, is with team-mate Jean-Philippe Mateta in France men’s preliminary Olympic Games squad.
Chris Richards, Jefferson Lerma and Daniel Munoz are competing at Copa America with the USMNT and Colombia respectively, while Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze are in Germany for Euro 2024 with the England team.
Joachim Andersen’s Denmark were knocked out of the competition by the hosts but the centre-back will not be involved in pre-season training immediately. Jordan Ayew, meanwhile, has spent time with Ghana this summer and may also be given further leave before returning.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 19: vs Charlton (behind closed doors)
- July 27: vs Crawley Town (Broadfield Stadium)
- July 31: vs Wolves (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland)
- August 3: vs West Ham (Raymond James Stadium, Florida)
- August 11: vs Nantes (Selhurst Park)
Matt Woosnam
Everton
After trips to the U.S. and the France/Swiss border in recent years, Everton are staying closer to home this summer.
The club have announced four fixtures, with away trips to Sligo Rovers (July 19), Salford City (July 27), Coventry City (July 30) and Preston North End (August 3) pencilled in.
Before that, manager Sean Dyche and his players will head for a training camp, with more fixtures expected to be announced in due course.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Dyche and the squad are due to return to Finch Farm for training on July 8.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Those involved in this summer’s Euros, like England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana and Ukrainian Vitalii Mykolenko, are likely to be given some time off to recuperate.
Mykolenko limped out of Ukraine’s final group game and will also need to be assessed after a series of troublesome ankle problems towards the end of the season.
Right-back Nathan Patterson, meanwhile, is recovering well from hamstring surgery and expected to return to full training at some point in July.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 19: vs Sligo Rovers (The Showgrounds)
- July 27: vs Salford (Peninsula Stadium)
- July 30: vs Coventry (Coventry Building Society Arena)
- August 3: vs Preston (Deepdale)
Patrick Boyland
Fulham
In a repeat of last year, Fulham will face Hoffenheim to round off their pre-season preparations.
Summer signings Raul Jimenez and Calvin Bassey scored to give Marco Silva’s side a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage in August 2023. But this time, Fulham will travel to Germany. The game will take place at Hoffenheim’s PreZero Arena on August 10, a week before the Premier League kicks off again.
Unlike previous seasons, Fulham are leaving it late to announce their plans for the first half of the summer. Twelve months ago, they travelled to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series and the season before that, they played in the Algarve Football Cup on Portugal’s south coast.
They are expected to travel to Portugal for a pre-season camp.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The majority of Fulham’s squad will be returning in stages to Motspur Park for pre-season testing and then training in the next two weeks. It will be a staggered return, with some players still on international duty and therefore will require some further time off.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Those who are still involved in competition either at the Copa America or the European Championships will be the last to return. They include Andreas Pereira, with Brazil, Luc de Fougerolles, with Canada, and Joao Palhinha with Portugal — the latter is expected to leave the club after Fulham agreed a fee for him with Bayern Munich.
Timothy Castagne (Belgium), Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Jamaica) Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson (USMNT) have been eliminated from their tournaments but will likely be given a break before returning. Ream is also in talks with Charlotte FC regarding a transfer while De Cordova-Reid is technically out of contract, although he has an offer on the table from Fulham.
Sasa Lukic was on duty with Serbia, who were eliminated in the group stages at Euro 2024.
Confirmed fixtures
- August 10: vs Hoffenheim (PreZero Arena, Sinsheim)
Justin Guthrie and Peter Rutzler
Ipswich Town
It’s all change at Ipswich this summer as the club prepares for a first season in the Premier League in 22 years, but they will welcome a familiar opponent to Portman Road in pre-season.
Ipswich host Fortuna Dusseldorf on July 27, having formed a long-standing friendship with the second-tier German side over the past 18 years. What began as an innocuous trip to Ipswich in 2006 by the former Fortuna stadium announcer Ulli Munsterberg has blossomed into an annual Portman Road pilgrimage for a large group of Fortuna fans, with Ipswich supporters frequently making the return trip to Germany too.
Just as they did last summer, Kieran McKenna’s side will also head to Austria in pre-season. There they will play two one-hour friendlies against Shakhtar Donetsk on the same day: July 20.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Ipswich returned to pre-season training on Monday, July 1.
Who might be missing when they return?
Vaclav Hladky is the big miss. The 33-year-old became Ipswich’s first-choice goalkeeper last season following an injury to regular No 1 Christian Walton. He seized his opportunity in the first team and was crucial to Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League, earning particular praise for his ability with the ball at his feet.
However, Hladky and the club failed to agree new terms and his departure as a free agent was confirmed at the start of the month. Kayden Jackson and Dominic Ball have also exited after the conclusion of their contracts, Sone Aluko has retired, and Kieffer Moore, Jeremy Sarmiento and Lewis Travis have returned to their parent clubs.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 20: Shakhtar Donetsk (Sportzentrum Landskron, Villach, Austria)
- July 20: Shakhtar Donetsk (Sportzentrum Landskron, Villach, Austria)
- July 27: vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (Portman Road)
Ali Rampling
Get the latest transfer news on The Athletic…
Leicester City
The departure of Enzo Maresca to Chelsea has put plans for pre-season on hold until a new manager is brought in at Leicester City.
The aim this summer was to take advantage of a longer break until the Premier League kicks off on August 17, allowing more time to work on Maresca’s tactical approach.
After an initial week of testing and fitness work at their Seagrave training camp in north Leicestershire, the players will head to a European training camp and then play a selection of friendlies, some abroad and some against lower-league sides away from home. Traditionally, they finish with a home friendly.
However, Leicester’s plans will not be finalised until their next manager arrives.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The majority of the Leicester players will meet new manager Steve Cooper for the first time on July 8, when they return for pre-season training at their Seagrave training base.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
The Leicester players who have been at the European championships will be given additional time off. Denmark’s Mads Hermansen, Victor Kristiansen and Jannik Vestergaard, plus Belgium’s Wout Faes, are expected to miss the first two weeks of pre-season training to rest after the tournament.
They will most likely to join their club-mates during a training camp near Lake Geneva, where they will play two training games against sides also training in the area, reported in France to be FC Annecy and Caen.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 23: vs Shrewsbury Town (The Croud Meadow)
- August 3: vs FC Augsburg (Illerstadion, Kempten, Germany)
- August 10: vs Lens (Stade Bollaert-Delelis)
Rob Tanner
Liverpool
Liverpool will embark on a pre-season tour of America for the first time since 2019 this month.
The three matches in the U.S. are the only friendlies confirmed as a new era begins, with head coach Arne Slot taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
The tour will kick off against Spanish side Real Betis at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium on July 26. Then Liverpool will fly to Philadelphia to take on Arsenal at Lincoln Financial Field on July 31. The final date of the tour is a match with Manchester United at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, on August 3.
Those players not on international duty at either the European Championship or the Copa America will report back to Kirkby for the start of pre-season testing in early July. After the tour of the States, they also host Sevilla at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s first games in charge of Liverpool are set to take place in the United States (Jeroen van den Berg/Soccrates/Getty Images)
When are they back for pre-season training?
The under-21s reported back to the AXA Training Centre on Monday, July 1, with the seniors following from 5 July onwards as new head coach Slot gets down to work.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Liverpool still have a host of star names away on international duty at the Euros and Copa America. Scotland’s Andy Robertson and Hungary’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who didn’t make it beyond the group stage in Germany, won’t report back until later this month as they enjoy some time off.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 26: vs Real Betis (Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh)
- July 31: vs Arsenal (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
- August 3: vs Manchester United (Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina)
- August 11: vs Sevilla (Anfield)
James Pearce
Manchester City
After visiting South Korea and Japan last year, Manchester City are Stateside once again this summer for a four-game tour as part of pre-season competition FC Series, formerly known as the Florida Cup.
City, the winners of four consecutive Premier League titles, begin by facing Celtic, the winners of three consecutive Scottish Premiership titles, in North Carolina on July 23. City then play AC Milan in New York four days later.
The standout fixture will see Pep Guardiola come up against his former employers Barcelona in Orlando on July 30 before City round off their trip against Chelsea in Ohio on August 3.
A date has also been set for the Community Shield against Manchester United, which takes place at Wembley on Saturday, August 10.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The Premier League champions will return to training the week commencing July 15 before travelling out for their tour of the United States on July 19.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
City had more players reach the Euro 2024 knockout stages than any other top-flight club, with 11 making it out of the group stages. Only Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have joined Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol in being eliminated.
Julian Alvarez and Yan Couto — on loan at Girona last season and now with Brazil — are also engaged at the Copa America.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 23: vs Celtic (Kenan Stadium, North Carolina)
- July 27: vs AC Milan (Yankee Stadium, New York)
- July 30: vs Barcelona (Camping World Stadium, Orlando)
- August 3: vs Chelsea (Ohio Stadium, Columbus)
Mark Critchley
Manchester United
United’s pre-season schedule follows a similar pattern to last summer’s, with a game in Norway, a game in Scotland and then a tour of the States.
First up is a trip to Trondheim to play Rosenborg on July 15 before a return to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium to face Rangers five days later.
United will later fly out to Los Angeles, where they will face Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium on July 27 before making the trip to take on Real Betis at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, which shares its name with United’s new front-of-shirt sponsor.
Having started on the west coast, the tour rounds off on the east. Liverpool await at the Williams-Brice Stadium in South Carolina on August 3.
They also face Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday, August 10.
When are they back for pre-season training?
United’s players will begin to report back to Carrington next Monday, July 8, ahead of their first pre-season friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim a week later.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Eleven United players were called up for either Euro 2024 or Copa America — plus Tom Heaton, who is with the England squad as a training goalkeeper. Of those, only Scotland’s Scott McTominay and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen are no longer involved.
There will be intrigue over whether Tyrell Malacia is back in full training after missing the entirety of last season with a knee injury, while Willy Kambwala was also sidelined at the end of the campaign.
Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial, Omari Forson and Brandon Williams have left as free agents after their respective contracts came to an end. The futures of players including Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood are yet to be decided.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 15: vs Rosenborg (Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim)
- July 20: vs Rangers (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
- July 27: vs Arsenal (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles)
- July 31: vs Real Betis (Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego)
- Aug 3: vs Liverpool (Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina)
Mark Critchley
Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s pre-season schedule is looking pretty light at the moment — but that is because they have only confirmed their tour of Japan so far. That will take place at the end of July, with matches against the Urawa Red Diamonds and Yokohama F Marinos in and around Tokyo.
Before that, however, Newcastle are expected to head to Herzogenaurach in Germany, to Adidas’s state-of-the-art headquarters, for a training camp.
There will also likely be some domestic friendlies in July, as well as the Sela Cup at St James’ Park on August 9 and 10, while Eddie Howe, the head coach, is also looking to arrange some behind-closed-doors matches.
That is something Howe tends to do anyway during pre-season, but the need to get game time into Sandro Tonali’s legs, given the Italian’s 10-month ban for betting offences ends on August 29 and he cannot play in front of crowds, is also a factor.
And, of course, let’s not forget that Newcastle played a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Australia last month.
Newcastle and Tottenham played a post-season friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in May (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)
When are they back for pre-season training?
The squad is due to filter back in different groups for testing from around July 12.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
With Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar still at the Euros — and set to face off when England take on Switzerland a Euro 2024 quarter-final on Saturday — they are unlikely to be back for the first day. Martin Dubravka might not be either, despite Slovakia’s last-16 exit.
The same is true for Miguel Almiron, who was eliminated from the Copa America with Paraguay, but Bruno Guimaraes is still representing Brazil in the tournament.
Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles’ respective ACL injuries will also rule them out, but the rest of the squad should be fit.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 27: vs Hull City (MKM Stadium)
- July 31: vs Urawa Red Diamonds (Saitama Stadium, Saitama)
- August 3: vs Yokohama F. Marinos (National Stadium, Tokyo)
- August 9: vs Girona (St James’ Park)
- August 10: vs Stade Brestois (St James’ Park)
Chris Waugh
Nottingham Forest
In a replica of last year’s preparations, Nottingham Forest will return to Spain for a pre-season training camp.
In Murcia, they will play friendly games against Championship sides Sunderland and Millwall on July 19 and 23 at the Pinatar Arena, before facing Elche at the same venue on July 27.
Forest’s B team are also playing three matches at the Pinatar Arena.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The first-team squad are due to return for pre-season training on Monday, July 8.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
All players are expected to be present when Forest return aside from goalkeepers Matz Sels and Matt Turner, who have been on international duty with Belgium at Euro 2024 and the USMNT at the Copa America. They should join the group a week later.
New signings Elliot Anderson and Eric da Silva Moreira are expected to join the rest of the squad before Forest’s pre-season fixtures, which begin against Chesterfield on July 13.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 13: vs Chesterfield (SMH Group Stadium)
- July 19: vs Sunderland (Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain)
- July 23: vs Millwall (Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain)
- July 27: vs Elche (Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain)
Nick Miller
Southampton
They have only just finished celebrating their Championship play-off final win but for Southampton, the new season is not far away.
Their 1-0 win over Leeds United at Wembley on May 26 means their campaign ran longer than any of the other 19 teams in the 2024-25 Premier League.
Southampton owner Dragan Solak promised the players the party of their lives if they secured a route back into the Premier League but in the meantime, fans are awaiting official pre-season fixture announcements.
Southampton’s pre-season schedule kicks off in a friendly against Eastleigh on July 19. Russell Martin’s side have plans for a week-long training camp in Spain immediately following the friendly, with two behind-closed-doors games against Bordeaux and Montpellier.
They also have a friendly away at Millwall on August 3.
When are they back for pre-season training?
The date of Southampton’s return for pre-season training is yet to be announced.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
A delayed return is expected for Che Adams (Scotland) and Jan Bednarek (Poland), who featured at Euro 2024 before exiting in the group stage.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 19: vs Eastleigh (Silverlake Stadium)
- July 24: vs Bordeaux (behind closed doors)
- July 27: vs Montpellier (behind closed doors)
- August 3: vs Millwall (The Den)
Dan Barnes
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou’s squad face a trip to Scotland to face Hearts on July 17, followed by a London derby against Queens Park Rangers three days later.
Then Tottenham, who played Newcastle in Australia last month, will fly to Asia for a two-week tour. Due to the Copa America and the European Championship, the number of first-team players who travel will probably be quite low.
Spurs take on Vissel Kobe at Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo on July 27 and then move on to South Korea, where they will take on a K League All-Stars side. They round off their time in South Korea with a friendly against Bayern Munich, which will reunite them with Harry Kane and Eric Dier. The fixture will also pit Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae, two of the biggest Korean stars, directly against each other.
Spurs conclude their preparations for the 2024-25 season with another clash against Bayern, but this time it will be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, allowing their UK-based fans to show their appreciation for Kane and Dier’s contributions over the last decade.
Tottenham will face both Team K League and Bayern Munich at the Seoul World Cup Stadium (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
When are they back for pre-season training?
Tottenham’s squad are reporting for pre-season training slightly later than their rivals but that is partially because of their friendly against Newcastle in Melbourne, which took place only three days after the Premier League season ended.
The players are due back at Hotspur Way on Saturday, July 6, and they will be joined by Postecoglou, who was part of ITV’s punditry team for the European Championship.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Micky van de Ven is the only Tottenham player left at Euro 2024 after the Netherlands eliminated Romania on Tuesday evening.
Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso are still involved in Argentina’s bid to retain the Copa America while Rodrigo Bentancur has helped Uruguay reach the last eight.
Everybody involved in a tournament this summer will be granted extra time off before returning to training. It means that key squad members might miss their tour to Japan and South Korea at the end of July.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 17: vs Hearts (Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh)
- July 20: vs Queens Park Rangers (Loftus Road, London)
- July 27: vs Vissel Kobe (National Stadium, Tokyo)
- July 31: vs Team K-League (Seoul World Cup Stadium)
- August 3: vs Bayern Munich (Seoul World Cup Stadium)
- August 10: vs Bayern Munich (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
Jay Harris
West Ham United
Pre-season preparations will
Dagenham & Redbridge will be West Ham’s first pre-season opponents. Julen Lopetegui’s squad will face their non-League opponents on July 20 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, where the West Ham Women team play their home matches.
West Ham will then travel to the United States for the Sunshine State Tour, where they will face Wolverhampton Wanderers at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on July 27 and Crystal Palace in Tampa a week later.
On August 10, they welcome Celta Vigo to the London Stadium.
When are they back for pre-season training?
New head coach Lopetegui had his first interaction with his West Ham players when they reported for pre-season training on July 3.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
Jarrod Bowen (England), Lucas Paqueta (Brazil), Alphonse Areola (France) and Michail Antonio (Jamaica) are on international duty and will miss the start of pre-season training. Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal will be given time off following the Czech Republic’s exit at the group stage of Euro 2024.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 20: vs Dagenham and Redbridge (Chigwell Construction Stadium, London)
- July 27: vs Wolves (EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida)
- August 3: vs Crystal Palace (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida)
- August 10: vs Celta Vigo (London Stadium)
Roshane Thomas
Wolverhampton Wanderers
A tour of the United States’ east coast in late July will be the centrepiece of their preparations for the new campaign.
Wolves are set to take on Crystal Palace and West Ham — the latter now managed by former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui — in Florida and Maryland. Wolves will also face RB Leipzig too, with that match taking place back in Florida.
They are also planning a week in Spain shortly after they report back for training at the start of July, but that trip is not expected to feature any official games.
However, they do face Spanish opposition on August 10, with Rayo Vallecano visiting Molineux.
When are they back for pre-season training?
Wolves’ players will begin to filter back into training late this week. Those who have not been in international action are due back for physical testing before Gary O’Neil and his squad depart next week for a 10-day camp in Spain.
Who will be missing during the early stages of pre-season training?
With several players still in action at the European Championship and Copa America — Portugal trio Pedro Neto, Jose Sa and Nelson Semedo, as well as Brazil’s Joao Gomes — O’Neil’s squad will reassemble in stages over the next few weeks.
Confirmed fixtures
- July 27: vs West Ham (EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida)
- July 31: vs Crystal Palace (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland)
- August 3: RB Leipzig (Chase Stadium, Miami, Florida)
- August 10: Rayo Vallecano (Molineux)
Steve Madeley
(Top photo: New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot at the club’s training ground; Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
