Arsenal have confirmed that the club will cut up to 60 positions, a move that the board says will help the team “achieve the success we want to create”. Chief executive Richard Garlick told staff this week that the reduction will affect roughly 7 % of the club’s 871 permanent employees, although the men’s and women’s squads and their coaching teams will remain untouched.
The decision comes as Arsenal head into the second half of the Premier League season after a title‑winning campaign that saw the club post a record £691 million turnover for 2024‑25. Head coach Mikel Arteta, who signed a new four‑year contract worth up to £20 million a season last month, was asked about the job cuts during a press conference before the match at Nottingham Forest. He declined to comment, saying the question was not for him and that the club had explained the rationale behind the exercise. “Some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles and keep investing to achieve the success we want to create,” Arteta said, stressing that he was not the appropriate person to answer the question.
Arteta also addressed the omission of France international William Saliba from the official squad photo released earlier in the week. Saliba, who was instrumental in the title run last season, has been sidelined with a back problem and was listed as unavailable due to a “medical appointment”. The coach said the club had tried to arrange a group photo on three separate occasions but had to cancel each time for various reasons, including commercial commitments. He added that Saliba is “completely fine” about the situation and that the club hopes to arrange a full family picture in the future.
On the pitch, Arsenal’s injury list remains a concern. Martín Zubimendi is still in doubt for the Forest fixture after sustaining an ankle injury in training following the Emirates win over Leeds. Piero Hincapié, who also suffered an ankle problem in the same session, will not feature. The squad will therefore have to cope with the absence of key players while the club navigates the ongoing restructuring.
With the job cuts set to take effect shortly, Arsenal will need to balance the financial and operational implications of the downsizing with the demands of a top‑flight campaign. The club’s leadership has indicated that the changes are part of a broader strategy to optimise roles and invest in areas that will drive future success. The next few weeks will see the club implementing the reductions while preparing for the remaining fixtures of the season.