Arteta says Arsenal explained proposed 60 job cuts as part of club improvement plans

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal explained their proposed reduction of 60 jobs to him as part of an effort to improve the club and support future success. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, the manager said he had been briefed on the workforce review but stressed that he was not the appropriate person to answer questions about the redundancies, BBC Sport reported.

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Chief executive Richard Garlick informed employees this week that the planned cuts would span several departments. They would affect up to seven per cent of Arsenal’s 871 permanent staff. In its earlier report on the announcement, BBC Sport said the proposals had not been finalised and that a consultation process was taking place, meaning the planned reduction should not be treated as completed dismissals.

The jobs involved are off-field positions. Coaching and performance teams for both the men’s and women’s sides are excluded, as are security staff and roles within the Arsenal Foundation and Arsenal in the Community. An outside company conducted the workforce review, which was already in progress before Arsenal won the Premier League, according to the broadcaster.

Asked about the plans before Sunday’s visit to Nottingham Forest, Arteta initially declined to address the issue directly. He then explained that the analysis had been presented to him as a way to develop the organisation, assign people to appropriate roles and continue investment. His response described the explanation he had received rather than setting out further details of how the redundancies would be implemented.

The announcement follows Arteta’s new four-year contract, agreed a week earlier after he led Arsenal to their first league championship since 2004 last season. BBC Sport reported that the agreement increased his previous annual salary of £10 million, which had been supplemented by £5 million in bonuses. The broadcaster did not specify the new salary in its report of his comments.

Arsenal’s finances provide a separate backdrop to the proposed changes. Figures announced in February showed record revenue of £691 million for the 2024-25 financial year, alongside an overall loss of £1.4 million. Operating costs reached £200.8 million, up from £147.9 million a year earlier. BBC Sport reported that the club wants to sustain itself financially while meeting Premier League financial requirements.