Arteta Stays Silent as Arsenal Cut 60 Jobs a Week After His Pay Rise

Mikel Arteta has distanced himself from the Arsenal job cuts, news of which was announced just days after he signed a lucrative new contract.

At his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, the Arsenal manager was asked about the redundancies. His first reaction was to say the question was “not for me”. He then gave a short answer, saying the club had explained that its review was meant to put the right people in the right roles so it can keep investing and chase further success. He added that he was not the right person to discuss it and hoped people would respect that.

Chief executive Richard Garlick broke the news to staff on Wednesday after an external review of the club’s running. The review was conducted by Boston Consulting Group, and the club expects to save between £5m and £7m a year.

The cuts, worth about seven per cent of Arsenal’s 871 permanent employees, affect backroom staff in the men’s and women’s teams. Coaches and performance staff, plus the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community, and security team, are all safe. The process is now in consultation, and the figures could change before a decision is made.

A difficult contrast

The timing has not been ideal for Arsenal, with the manager having signed a new four-year contract last Wednesday which will see him stay at the club until June 2030, having ended a 22-year wait for the league title. He is understood to have become the best-paid manager in the Premier League.

No one is suggesting there is any link, but the workforce review has been ongoing before the title win. The club has not indicated that it sees a connection between the off-field developments. It is difficult though to avoid the obviousness of the juxtaposition between the record-breaking season and the redundancy programme.

The figures show the reasoning behind the club’s approach. Arsenal’s books show revenue of £691m for the 2024-25 campaign, a record, but a £1.4m loss for the financial year. Costs have risen from £147.9m to £200.8m, and, even with the success, the club has to factor in bonuses handed out to players for their triumphs. Plus, new rules in the Premier League have forced clubs into a more prudent financial position.

The Gunners are familiar with the situation, having made 55 redundancies in 2020 during the pandemic. The reaction was fierce when it was revealed the player who took part in the mascot Gunnersaurus was amongst those made redundant. This time around, they can point to a healthier financial position, but questions of inequality will remain.

On the pitch

Arteta will want attention to return to football quickly. His side are second in the table and head to the City Ground looking to stay close to Manchester City. They lost 3-0 to Brighton before the international break, so they will be keen to bounce back.

For now, Arsenal’s board has made its case for the cuts, while Arteta has made clear that he does not want to be the one defending them.