Premier League champion Arsenal to cut up to 60 staff jobs
Arsenal plans to cut up to 60 jobs after an outside review of its staff, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. Coaching and performance staff for the men's and women's teams will not be affected. Manager Mikel Arteta said the cuts were explained to him as a way to help the club improve.
Arsenal, the Premier League champion, plans to cut up to 60 jobs after a review of its workforce, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. Staff whose jobs are at risk are understood to have been told, The Guardian reported. BBC Sport reported that the cuts would affect up to 7% of the club's 871 permanent staff and would come from off-the-field roles.
The review began before Arsenal won the league title, BBC Sport reported. The Guardian reported that it was started by Boston Consulting Group before the end of last season. Arsenal hopes to reduce the number of job losses and will try to move affected workers into other roles, The Guardian reported. Catering and travel are among the affected departments, The Guardian reported.
Coaching and performance staff for the men's and women's teams are exempt, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. So are the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community and security staff, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. The Guardian reported that the academy and Arsenal Women are also exempt.
Manager Mikel Arteta was asked about the cuts at a news conference before Sunday's game at Nottingham Forest. "Some decisions have to be taken, to put people in the right roles, and keep investing to achieve what we want to achieve and the success that we want to create," he said, according to The Guardian. "Obviously, I am not the right person to answer that question," Arteta said, according to BBC Sport. The club did not let him take more questions on the subject, The Guardian reported.
The timing has drawn scrutiny because the cuts come a week after Arteta signed a new contract, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. The Guardian reported the deal is worth more than £20 million a season. Arsenal says the restructuring began before the deal was announced, The Guardian reported.
Arsenal reported record revenue of £691 million for the 2024-25 season but still made a loss of £1.4 million, BBC Sport reported. Operating costs rose to about £201 million from about £148 million a year earlier, The Guardian and BBC Sport reported. The club's owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is keen to cut costs, The Guardian reported.
What we know: Arsenal plans to cut up to 60 off-field jobs, and coaching and performance staff are exempt.
What we don't: How many jobs will finally go, and which other departments will be affected.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and BBC Sport both report that Arsenal plans to cut up to 60 jobs and that men's and women's coaching and performance staff are exempt.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.