have told staff they intend to remove 60 off-field positions from the club’s workforce. The decision was shared during a call led by chief executive Richard Garlick and arrives only months after the club ended a wait for the Premier League title.
The proposed reductions will sit across several departments. Notably, coaching and performance staff in both the men’s and women’s teams will remain untouched. Roles inside the Arsenal Foundation, Arsenal in the Community, and the security department are also protected. The changes therefore focus on administrative and support functions rather than the pitch or community programmes.
An external firm had begun examining the size and structure of Arsenal’s workforce before the title was secured. That process continued after the celebrations and has now produced the recommendation for 60 fewer roles. Because the consultation phase is still open, the exact number and final list of positions have not been locked in. Staff have been informed that discussions will continue before any permanent decisions are taken.
In February, published accounts showing record turnover of £691 million for the 2024-25 season. Despite that figure, the club still recorded an overall loss of £1.4 million. Operating costs climbed sharply, reaching £200.8 million compared with £147.9 million the previous year. The increase reflects higher spending across several areas of the business even as commercial and match-day income grew.
Club officials have repeatedly stressed the need to remain self-sustainable under Premier League financial rules. Cutting off-field headcount is presented as one step toward controlling those costs while protecting the resources available to the first-team squads. The timing, however, has drawn attention because it follows both the title success and a major new deal for the manager.
Only seven days before the job-cut announcement, Arsenal confirmed that had signed a new contract running until 2030. The agreement is understood to raise his previous basic salary of £10 million a year and to add a further £5 million in potential bonuses. The deal places him among the highest-paid managers in the and was widely viewed as recognition of the title win and the club’s on-pitch progress.
The contrast between that investment and the reduction in support staff has been noted by employees. While the club has not linked the two announcements, the short gap between them has made the workforce changes feel particularly abrupt for those whose roles are under review.
Arsenal have emphasised that the plans remain subject to consultation. No final redundancy notices have been issued, and the club is expected to engage with affected staff and their representatives in the coming weeks. The process is designed to meet legal requirements and to give employees the chance to raise questions or alternatives before any roles are removed.
For a club that has just celebrated its first Premier League title since 2004 and posted its highest-ever revenue, the move highlights the continuing pressure of financial sustainability rules. How the consultation concludes will determine the final shape of Arsenal’s non-playing workforce heading into the rest of the campaign.
