Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal's decision to make 60 employees redundant, insisting the move is designed to help the club "evolve and improve." The comments come despite Arsenal posting revenues of £691 million ($917 million) for the 2024-25 financial year.
The job cuts were delivered via a call from chief executive Richard Garlick to staff this week, arriving just one week after Arteta signed a new £20 million-a-year ($26.4 million) contract at the Emirates.
The decision has drawn fierce backlash from supporters and dealt a blow to the affected employees. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire labeled it an "own goal," according to The Mirror.
Asked about the redundancies, Arteta said: "Well, first, because this question is not for me. It was explained to me about the exercise and analysis that has been done across the club. And with the intention always to evolve, to improve. 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. So that's been explained. Obviously, I'm not the right person to answer to that question. That's for sure. And hopefully everybody will respect that."
Arteta declined to answer further questions on the matter, which affects a significant proportion of the club's 871 total employees. Playing staff have been shielded from the redundancies, a detail that has created a difficult optic given the timing of Arteta's new contract announcement just a week before the cuts were revealed.
Arsenal had enlisted outside consultancy firm Boston Consulting Group to carry out a comprehensive review of the club's operations, aimed at streamlining efficiency.
The backlash facing Arsenal mirrors criticism previously directed at Manchester United following similar sweeping cuts after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's acquisition of a stake in that club. Even at United, managers including former head coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged the cuts were devastating across the club, negatively impacted morale, and expressed regret over the job losses suffered by staff members.
