Arsenal rule reportedly costs players thousands as Arteta pushes team bonding ahead of Premier League bid

Arsenal's Premier League title bid has taken an unusual turn after a report stated that Mikel Arteta has instituted a team-bonding rule that is proving costly for some players. The Sun reports that the Spaniard requires players to assemble at the club's Colney training ground, 24 miles from the Emirates Stadium, before both home and away fixtures to build synchrony in body language and friendships. The club's players typically travel direct to the stadium, but under the rule they bus to Colney together before heading to the match. Arsenal were 1-0 down to Liverpool at Anfield before the international break.

Under the policy, players are said to meet at Colney, then travel to the ground as a group. Drivers reportedly wait to transport players to and from Colney, a service some players use to cover the full day. For away games, families are not allowed to collect players at the stadium; players must return to Colney before being driven home. The Sun reports daily cab bookings range from £700 to £1,000, roughly half a driver's weekly target.

One driver told The Sun: 'I mean for us it leaves us looking forward to every game and hope we get the call because that is essentially more than half what we have to get for the week and it's quite relaxing.'

Separately, media reports last year claimed Arteta secretly hired a team of professional pickpockets to test players' alertness at a dinner with his first-team squad, prompting a negative reaction from fans.

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, despite finishing runners-up in three straight seasons, and Arteta's drive to build cohesion is a central part of his bid to end the drought. The pre-break setback came as Arsenal work to rebound from a 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.