Football
Arsenal Job Cuts Aim to Support Future Success -Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club’s planned job cuts are intended to improve its operations and help achieve future success, following a decision to reduce its workforce by up to 60 positions.
Chief executive Richard Garlick informed staff this week that the club planned to cut jobs across several departments, with the proposed redundancies affecting off-the-field roles rather than the men’s and women’s coaching or performance teams.
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The cuts could affect up to seven per cent of Arsenal’s 871 permanent employees. However, staff working with the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community and the club’s security department are expected to be spared.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, Arteta initially said the matter was not his responsibility before explaining what had been communicated to him about the decision.
“It was explained to me about the exercise, and the analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve, to improve,” the Spaniard said.
He added that the restructuring was intended to ensure staff were placed in appropriate roles while allowing the club to continue investing in its ambitions.
“Some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles, and keep investing, to achieve what we want to achieve, the success that we want to create. That has been explained,” Arteta said.
The manager stressed that he was not the appropriate person to provide further details about the redundancies.
The planned cuts come a week after Arteta signed a new four-year contract following Arsenal’s Premier League title success, their first since 2004, according to the supplied report. His new deal reportedly includes an increase on his previous £10m annual salary, alongside an additional £5m in potential bonuses.
The workforce review began before Arsenal secured the league title and was conducted with the assistance of an external company.
Despite recording record revenues of £691m for the 2024-25 financial year, Arsenal reported an overall loss of £1.4m, according to accounts announced in February.
The financial statements also showed that operating costs increased to £200.8m, up from £147.9m in the previous financial year.
The proposed redundancies form part of a wider review of Arsenal’s operations as the club seeks to manage costs while continuing to invest in its sporting ambitions.