Pre-season tours have gained more importance in recent years. Travelling to foreign countries allows clubs a great opportunity to expand their brand and helps players get ready for the upcoming season. Here are some of the Premier League’s top Asian tour for this upcoming summer:
Arsenal:
13/14 July: Indonesia national team (Jakarta)
22 July: Nagoya Grampus Eight (Japan)
Arsenal’s 2013 Asia tour will take manager Arsene Wenger to familiar territory. The Gunners will square off against Japanese club Nagoya Grampus, who Wenger managed for 18 months in the mid '90s. Arsenal will play the Indonesian national team in Jakarta before heading to Japan.
Chelsea:
17 July: Singha Thailand All Stars XI (Bangkok)
21 July: Malaysia XI (Kuala Lumpur)
25 July: Indonesia XI (Jakarta)
Chelsea’s “Here to play, Here to stay” tour will aim to spread the value of football to the Far East. The reigning Barclays Asia Trophy winners hope to spread their Blue Pitch in the City programme while training for their upcoming season. The three-game tour culminates with a match in the 88,000-seater Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Liverpool:
28 July: (Bangkok)
Liverpool decided to tour Asia this summer, after signing a three-year deal with Asian airline Garuda Indonesia. The Reds' players are looking at the summer tour as an opportunity to add to their massive global following.
Jordan Henderson told lfctour.com, "There's massive support worldwide for such a big team like Liverpool. I probably first noticed it when I first came away in pre-season - the support was unbelievable and we had more fans than the home team.”
Manchester United:
13 July: Singha All Star XI (Bangkok)
23 July: Yokohama F-Marinos (Yokohama)
26 July: Cerezo Osaka (Osaka)
29 July: Kitchee FC (Hong Kong)
Manchester United, one of the Premier League’s most global teams, has planned an extensive Asian tour. United will play four matches in four different cities. The Reds are perhaps the most popular club in the Far East. Footballers look forward to this opportunity to showcase their talents to new fans.
Defender Phil Jones told mfc.com, “It’s important to give something back to those fans and show our support to them.”