Arsenal Football Club is planning to eliminate up to 60 positions following an organizational review, with manager Mikel Arteta acknowledging the proposed restructuring while explaining that the decisions were intended to support the club’s long-term development.
The proposed reductions have emerged shortly after the London club celebrated winning the Premier League title and announced a new contract for their manager.
The club’s chief executive, Richard Garlick, informed employees that the restructuring could affect several departments across Arsenal’s operations. The planned reductions represent approximately seven per cent of the club’s reported 871 permanent employees, although the final number of redundancies has yet to be determined.
The review was undertaken with the involvement of Boston Consulting Group and began before Arsenal secured the Premier League championship last season. The exercise examined the club’s organisational structure and staffing arrangements, with the management seeking changes intended to improve efficiency and support future operations.
The proposed cuts are expected to affect predominantly administrative and other off-field positions, including some roles in the catering and travel departments. Coaching and performance staff associated with Arsenal’s men’s and women’s first teams are expected to remain unaffected, alongside employees working in the academy, community programmes, charitable foundation and security operations.
Arsenal is understood to be exploring opportunities to redeploy affected employees into alternative positions where possible. The club hopes these measures will reduce the number of compulsory redundancies, although some workers could still lose their jobs if suitable alternatives cannot be identified.
Speaking at a press conference before Arsenal’s Premier League encounter with Nottingham Forest, Arteta acknowledged that the restructuring had been explained to him by the club’s leadership. He said the review was intended to help Arsenal evolve, improve its operations and maintain investment in the areas considered necessary for future success.
The Spanish manager also made clear that decisions relating to workforce reductions fall outside his direct responsibilities. He indicated that questions about the proposed redundancies should be addressed to the club’s executives, who are responsible for determining the organisation’s staffing structure.
The timing of the announcement has attracted attention because it follows Arsenal’s recent sporting success and Arteta’s new contract agreement. However, the club maintains that its organisational review was already underway before the manager’s latest agreement was announced, with the proposed changes forming part of a broader assessment of staffing and operating costs.
