Arsenal have told staff they plan to make 60 positions redundant despite announcing record revenues for the 2024/25 season. The Premier League winners, who recently secured the English title, have informed employees that cuts will be spread across a number of departments.
Departments exempt from cuts
Among the departments unaffected are the coaching group and the performance teams for both the men's and women's sides. Those involved in the academy, the club's community operation, the Arsenal Foundation, security personnel and workers dedicated to the women's setup are also not part of the redundancy process, reports the Athletic.
A consultation is underway and the decision could yet change, but the announcement comes despite Arsenal having an encouraging set of financial results for the season before last.
Record revenue and new Arteta deal
The Gunners announced they had almost broken even for the 2024/25 financial year, recording an overall loss of £1.4m, while posting record revenues of £691m. Among Arsenal's biggest revenue wins was their decision to sell the naming rights to their training ground to Sobha Realty in February 2024 – a deal which significantly contributed to the club's revenues.
The announcement to make a raft of redundancies also comes after a new lucrative deal for manager Mikel Arteta, who recently committed his future to the club until 2030 after finally delivering the title. The Spaniard's new deal is believed to have made him the best-paid coach in the Premier League, but the loss of staff in light of such news is unlikely to be well received by supporters.
Summer spending and wider context
It also comes after the club spent £150m to land Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa in the summer. The trio further bolstered a squad that is seen as one of the best in Europe following continued investment.
Arsenal are not the only club to cut jobs in recent years. Manchester United's decision to rid of several jobs was well publicised and resulted in heavy backlash. Sir Jim Ratcliffe was behind the decision as he desperately sought to cut costs and was adamant that the moves were necessary to prevent the club going bust.
