Arsenal Cuts Jobs to Boost Success, Says Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club is cutting up to 60 jobs to improve how things run and achieve more success.

The Gunners plan to reduce their workforce by about seven percent of their 871 permanent staff after reviewing the club’s operations.

Arsenal's chief executive, Richard Garlick, told staff about the decision this week. The job cuts will affect several departments. But coaching and performance staff for both the men’s and women’s teams will not be affected.

Jobs in the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community, and the club’s security department are also safe from these planned redundancies.

At a news conference before Arsenal’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Arteta first hesitated to speak about the job cuts. He said, “This question is not for me.”

Later, he explained that the decision was meant to help the club improve its structure and reach long-term goals. “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,” Arteta said.

He added, “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 made it clear that he is not the right person to answer questions about the job cuts. He said, “Obviously, I am not the right person to answer that question. That’s for sure. And hopefully everybody will respect that.”

The job cuts come just a week after Arteta signed a new four-year contract with the North London club. This deal follows a successful season where Arsenal won their first Premier League title since 2004.

The new contract is said to give him a raise from his previous salary of £10 million a year, along with an extra £5 million in bonuses.

The workforce review, done by an outside company, started before Arsenal won the Premier League title last season.

This decision has also brought attention to the club’s financial situation. In February, Arsenal announced they made record revenues of £691 million for the 2024-25 financial year. However, the club still reported an overall loss of £1.4 million.

Arsenal’s accounts also showed that operating costs rose sharply to £200.8 million, compared to £147.9 million in the previous financial year.

Despite these financial details, Arteta insisted that the changes are part of the club’s larger efforts to improve operations, keep investing, and maintain success on the pitch.