I have to write this very early in the morning, so I may have to come back to this later when I’ve had more time to process it. But the Deloitte Money League data has dropped, and oh my, is it interesting this season.
Arsenal are doing very well. Well, we are now the seventh largest producer of cash in Europe. We are actually ahead of United, who have dropped to eighth place and dropped a whopping four places. I can’t believe it took so long for them to fall, but the consequences are finally coming.
And this: only 42 million euros divides the four best Premier League teams. Strikingly, the European sows of Barca and Real Madrid, who cannot survive without a Super League, top the charts with a combined turnover of 2 billion euros. Pretty staggering. Bayern and Paris make up the other two places ahead of the Premier League clubs.
In short? Money is still flowing into world football. The sport isn’t in trouble at the higher levels, with an overall increase of 11% from 2025. The Premier League is monstrously dominant because it shares the pie, with nine clubs in the top 20. It’s quite baffling that West Ham United, a club that has positioned itself as a tourist destination with a free stadium in Stratford, is managing to sneak in without Europe or any notable success.
Okay, now let’s look at wages.
And this: Chelsea, the team that reportedly spends no money on wages, now tops Arsenal in the Premier League. Arsenal dropped to 4th place. My quick research has shown that our salary figures have increased by £10m per season, so nothing crazy.
But what I really want you to pay attention to is ‘brave Liverpool’, who have developed into the highest-spending player in the league. They spend £83 million a year more than us. What does that mean for squad building? It means they can afford to have an extra 6.38 players in their 23-man squad, earning £250,000 a week.
£250,000 a week is more than Declan. That’s more than Big Gabi, David Raya, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Trossard, Martinelli, Zubimendi or Calafiori.
That’s a LOT of extra money. Man City can afford another 4.23 players on the same salary, not to mention all the extras that come with these deals.
Again, these are all extremely strong mitigating factors as to why things have been so difficult for Arsenal. This kind of divide between Arsenal and the top clubs has been prominent for years. The TV pundits and simple people will constantly look at the transfer fees and say, “Look, Arsenal are spending a lot.” But they rarely focus on the secret fuel that keeps clubs at the top. HUGE wages.
The salary difference between Liverpool and Arsenal over five years is £415 million. The city cost £265 million. Add that to their huge spending and you can see why Arsenal have been in such a rush to secure new deals. We need to find an academy leader who can start selling kids at higher premiums. It is clear why there is no choice in terms of stadium development to catch up and ensure that London’s ticket premium carries more weight against our northern rivals.
What does this all mean, and how can we draw this back to ourselves? Internet table bangers since 2007. Yes, I’m talking about you. The kind of high-minded person who reads sick blogs every day during your work breaks and joins the chorus of other individuals who demanded more from Arsenal. At the end of 2020, our revenues were £380 million. That’s actually what our wage bill is. To anyone who said we couldn’t compete, you were wrong. We’re not at the top of any of the tables when it comes to wages or revenue, but we’re at the top of the Champions League and the Premier League, and we’re probably the best team in the world.
When people ask why Arteta gets £16 million a year, that’s your answer. Under his leadership we have added £300 million to our turnover, are the hottest ticket in town and are expanding our stadium.
What’s the lesson here for Premier League owners? If you don’t spend, you go backwards. You have to keep moving forward, you can’t keep people working because of their status, and you just have to play in the Champions League every year.
Arsenal is huge. Can they get a big win and stay there? That’s the question.
Okay, now listen to this week’s Therapy Session, which is pure members, in addition to the On The Whistle that was supposed to go to everyone.
#ARSENAL #RICH