Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has addressed the club’s decision to cut up to 60 jobs, insisting that the restructuring has been presented to him as part of a wider plan to improve the organisation and maintain its pursuit of success.
The proposed job losses were revealed this week after Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick informed staff that the club would reduce its workforce across a number of departments. The changes could affect around seven per cent of Arsenal’s 871 permanent employees, although the final number of redundancies could still change as the consultation process continues.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest, Arteta was asked about the decision and initially made it clear that he was not directly responsible for the matter.
“First, this question is not for me,” Arteta said.
However, he went on to explain what had been communicated to him about the restructuring.
“It was explained to me about the exercise, and the analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve, to improve,” the Arsenal boss said.
“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.”
Arteta added that he was not the appropriate person to provide further details about the job cuts and asked for the matter to be respected.
“Obviously, I’m not the right person to answer to that question. That’s for sure. And hopefully everybody will respect that,” he said.
Arsenal’s planned restructuring has attracted considerable attention because it comes only days after Arteta agreed a new long-term contract with the club. The Spaniard recently committed his future to Arsenal after guiding the club to its first Premier League title since 2004.
The timing has inevitably led to questions about the contrast between Arteta’s new contract and the proposed redundancies. Arsenal, however, has indicated that the restructuring process began before the announcement of the manager’s new deal.
The review was conducted with the involvement of management consultancy Boston Consulting Group, with the club assessing its operations and looking for ways to improve efficiency.
Importantly, the proposed cuts do not affect every area of Arsenal. The men’s and women’s first-team coaching and performance departments are understood to be unaffected, while Arsenal’s academy, community operations, foundation and site security teams have also been excluded from the cuts.
The club is also understood to be exploring opportunities to redeploy some affected employees, meaning the final number of redundancies could be lower than the initial figure.
The restructuring comes despite Arsenal recording record revenue of £691 million for the 2024-25 financial year. However, the club also reported an overall loss of £1.4 million, while operating costs increased significantly during the period.
For Arteta, the message communicated to him is that Arsenal cannot afford to stand still.
His comments underline the club’s desire to continue investing while simultaneously changing its structure to make sure resources and personnel are positioned where they can contribute most effectively.
That approach is consistent with the wider ambition outlined by Garlick earlier this month, when the Arsenal chief executive said the club did not want to become complacent after its historic Premier League triumph.
Arsenal are now attempting to build on their success rather than simply celebrate it, with Arteta remaining central to the club’s long-term sporting project.
The manager will now turn his attention back to matters on the pitch, with Arsenal preparing for their Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
For supporters, however, the staff restructuring is likely to remain a major talking point as the club attempts to balance financial efficiency, continued investment and its ambitions to remain among the leading clubs in English and European football.
Arteta’s message was clear: the decisions have been presented internally as part of an effort to “evolve” and “improve”, while ensuring Arsenal can continue investing in the areas needed to pursue further success.
