Arteta backs Arsenal review that puts up to 60 jobs at risk

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended a workforce review that could cut up to 60 jobs at the London club, saying he was told the changes were intended to help Arsenal improve and pursue further success. The final number of redundancies has not been settled.

Arteta addressed the plans at a news conference before Arsenal’s scheduled Sunday trip to Nottingham Forest. He said the club had explained the review and its aim of evolving and improving. ‘Some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles, and keep investing,’ he said, before adding that he was ‘not the right person’ to answer further questions about the cuts.

Which Arsenal jobs are at risk

The Guardian reported that catering and travel are among the departments affected. The academy, Arsenal Women, Arsenal in the Community, the Arsenal Foundation and site security teams are exempt, it said. Some staff whose positions are at risk have been informed, but others have yet to be told. Arsenal hopes to reduce the number of redundancies and will seek to move affected employees into other roles where possible, according to the Guardian.

Why the cuts follow Arteta’s new deal

The plans have drawn attention because they emerged a week after Arteta received a new contract. The Guardian reported that the deal is worth more than £20m a season. An external review of Arsenal’s workforce was already under way before the club won the Premier League last season, both outlets reported; the Guardian identified Boston Consulting Group as the firm involved.

Arsenal’s 2024-25 accounts put operating costs at £200.8m, up from £147.9m the previous year, according to BBC Sport. The club reported record revenue of £691m for that financial year but an overall loss of £1.4m. The Guardian reported that owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is keen to reduce costs. Those figures provide context for the review, while the outcome for individual employees remains subject to the process now under way.