Arsenal have announced that pre-season competition the Emirates Cup will not take place this summer due to essential pitch reconstruction work.

Work on installing a new playing surface for next season will begin immediately after the final match of this season on May 15 and continue through the summer.

"We know how popular the Emirates Cup is with our fans here in the UK and around the world, so we are disappointed that we will not be hosting it this summer," said chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

"The shorter pre-season window and the need to relay our pitch has resulted in this decision being taken. We look forward to hosting the tournament in 2017."

The four-team, invitational cup has been held at the Emirates annually since 2007, apart from in 2012, when it was cancelled due to the London Olympics.

Arsenal's pre-season will begin late July in California, with friendlies planned against an MLS All-Stars team and Chivas USA.