- Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick told employees that around 60 roles could be cut, affecting roughly 7% of the club's 871 permanent staff
- The restructuring follows an independent workforce review that started before Arsenal clinched the Premier League title last season
- Arteta recently signed a four-year contract that reportedly raised his annual salary, with potential bonuses of up to £5 million
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has weighed in on the club's plans to reduce its workforce, saying the changes are intended to sharpen operations and position the club for long-term success.
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Chief executive Richard Garlick broke the news to staff, confirming that roughly 60 positions could be eliminated across several departments.
The cuts would affect approximately 7% of Arsenal's 871 permanent employees. Coaching staff, performance teams, the Arsenal Foundation, community programmes and security personnel are all expected to be spared.
What prompted Arsenal's restructuring?
The workforce review was not triggered by a sudden crisis. It was actually commissioned before Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy last season, making it an initiative rooted in forward planning rather than financial panic.
Arteta said the club's leadership had walked staff through the rationale behind the review, framing it as a way to strengthen Arsenal's structure, direct investment more effectively and fulfil the club's wider ambitions.
He was careful to note, however, that other senior officials were better placed to field detailed questions about the redundancies themselves.
BBC reports that the news comes at a time when Arsenal posted record revenue of £691 million for the 2024-25 financial year, equivalent to roughly KSh 117.5 billion.
Despite those headline figures, the club still recorded an overall loss of £1.4 million, or approximately KSh 238 million. Operating expenses also climbed sharply, rising to £200.8 million from £147.9 million the previous year.
Arteta's own financial standing at the club remains strong.
His new four-year deal is reported to have increased his annual salary from £10 million, around KSh 1.7 billion, and comes with potential bonus payments of up to £5 million, approximately KSh 850 million.
The contract signals how much confidence Arsenal's board has in the Spaniard, even as the club trims costs elsewhere.
The combination of record revenues alongside rising expenses and a slim net loss paints a complicated financial portrait of a club navigating the demands of competing at the highest level while trying to keep its books in order.
What did Jay Emmanuel-Thomas say about prison?
In other news, former Arsenal player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is rebuilding his life after being released on parole in July 2025 following a drug-importation conviction.
The 35-year-old described prison as a humbling experience that changed his outlook, stressing the importance of positive relationships.
Source: TUKO.co.ke