October 15 – Arsenal are planning to cut around 60 jobs as part of a drive to trim annual costs by as much as £7 million, despite record revenues and a Premier League title that has pushed the club into their strongest sporting and commercial position in years.
Staff were informed of the proposals on Wednesday by Chief Executive Richard Garlick following an external review carried out by Boston Consulting Group. A formal consultation is now under way, meaning the final number of redundancies could still change.
Around 800 people work for the club, putting roughly 7.5% of the workforce at risk.
The cuts are concentrated in non-playing departments, although some scouting and analysis roles are understood to be included. First-team coaching and performance staff, the academy, Arsenal in the Community, the Arsenal Foundation and security operations are expected to be protected.
The timing is a bit of a head-scratcher for a club that have positioned themself in the heart of a passionate community.
Arsenal have just won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, while their latest published accounts showed record revenue of £691 million for 2024/25, up £74.4 million on the previous year.
That said, the costs have been rising almost as quickly. Other operating expenses jumped 37% to £200.8 million, while wages increased to £346.8 million. Arsenal still reported a £1.4 million pre-tax loss, albeit a sharp improvement on the £17.7 million deficit the year before and helped by £81.2 million in profit from player sales.
The club have now posted losses for seven consecutive financial years.
That helps explain why the review has focused on the size and structure of the operation rather than on the playing side. Arsenal are understood to believe the changes could save between £5 million and £7 million a year and give them greater flexibility to keep investing in the squad.
The announcement arrives only a week after Mikel Arteta agreed a new contract through to 2030. The Times has reported a basic salary of around £20 million For the Spaniard, potentially rising to £25 million with bonuses.
There is no suggestion the two decisions are directly linked – the organisational review began before last season’s title win – but the contrast will not be lost on staff facing consultation.
Arsenal have been here before, cutting 55 jobs during the pandemic in 2020. This time there is no empty stadium or collapse in matchday income to point to. There is instead a title, record revenue and a club still looking for places to save.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at harry.ewing@insideworldfootball.com