Arsenal have come under heavy scrutiny after their decision to lay off 60 employees from the club's structure. Renowned football finance expert Kieran Maguire branded this move a 'massive own goal' by the Kroenke family, the club's owners. On Wednesday, the Gunners informed staff of the planned redundancies, which were the result of a comprehensive audit conducted by American consulting firm Boston Consulting Group.
Maguire estimates the club will save around £3 million a year if we consider a generous average salary of £50,000 for each of the 60 departing staff. He emphasised that this figure appears paltry when compared to the vast sums the club spends on players, especially following their long-awaited Premier League title win in May.
In his social media posts, Maguire detailed the financial paradox of the situation:
Arsenal's Premier League victory brought the club much praise from neutral fans, partly due to how deeply the club is integrated into the local community. However, yesterday’s announcement to cut 60 jobs showed that these ties are just a facade.
The average first-team player earned £7.7 million in the 2024/25 season, and this figure likely surged due to championship bonuses. In reality, the redundancies would only cover the wages of one player for three days a week.
Maguire also pointed out the staggering revenues for the Gunners: the club is set to earn around £198 million in Premier League prize money for the 2025/26 season and £125 million from UEFA for participation in the Champions League. Total revenue has jumped by £319 million from 2022 to 2025 and is likely to increase by another £50 million this current campaign. Nevertheless, he expressed doubts that the club's 'silent' owner Stan Kroenke even cares about the fate of the dismissed individuals.
Interestingly, despite a record income of £691 million for the 2024/25 season, Arsenal have reported a loss for the seventh consecutive year. The severe cutbacks aim to improve operational efficiency amidst stricter financial regulations in English football.
The internal audit and the subsequent layoffs will not affect the coaching staff of the men's and women's teams, the sports achievements departments, security services, or the club's charitable foundations. Ironically, this stringent corporate restructuring news came shortly after head coach Mikel Arteta signed a new contract worth around £20 million a year.
