Arsenal return for pre-season as Mesut Ozil trains amid transfer speculation and legend Freddie Ljungberg joins group as coach

MESUT OZIL kicked off his pre-season in Arsenal colours despite Gunners looking to push him out the Emirates exit.

Unai Emery's men returned to their London Colney HQ ahead of the new season, with club legend Freddie Ljungberg joining as a coach.

And although Ozil was among the cheerful faces at the club training ground, his future remains uncertain.

Arsenal are stepping up efforts to sell the German playmaker in a desperate bid to raise funds for a spending spree.

Emery is under pressure to cash in on the £350,000-a-week man as Arsenal could be hit by a pre-tax loss of more than £50m.

The Gunners have been hit by their failure to qualify for the Champions League, coupled with a hike in the wage bill.

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Emery has already lost Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck, Petr Cech and Stephan Lichtsteiner for free this summer.

And the 47-year-old Spanish coach has just £45m to spend on new signings.

Emery will have been pleased to see his lethal strike duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all smiles in training.

As was youngster Emile Smith Rowe who spent last season on loan at German side RB Leipzig.

Teen star Smith Rowe made three appearances for the Bundesliga club having scored three times for Arsenal in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.

Another familiar face at Colney was that of Gunners legend Ljungberg who was promoted to the first-team coaching staff last month.

Swede Ljungberg, 42, has been rewarded for his impressive work as coach of the Under-23s.

And once Arsenal's season begins at Newcastle on August 11, he will be in place alongside Emery.

But Ozil's future is yet to be sealed.