Arsenal face wage-bill squeeze until new commercial deals are agreed next summer
Unai Emery is facing significant restrictions with Arsenal’s wage bill during the next transfer window in January following a series of deals that have been agreed over the past year.
Although Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Lucas Perez all left Arsenal during the summer, the incoming arrivals of Bernd Leno, Sokratis, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Stefan Lichtsteiner, as well as extensions for Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, have further increased a wage bill that was already running at an annual record high of more £200 million.
That was largely due to the January signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as well as a new club record deal for Mesut Ozil that is understood to be worth more than £300,000 per week.
Although other fringe players could leave before the international transfer window closes, Arsenal also want to tie Aaron Ramsey down to a new deal, meaning they are restricted without significant outgoings to make major further incoming signings.
The situation will improve next summer when a new shirt sponsorship and kit deal cycle begins. The new main Emirates shirt deal, alongside a first separate sleeve sponsor, will alone bring in around £20 million more annually.
Adidas are expected to manufacture the kit from 2019 instead of Puma, with Arsenal also hoping for an increase on that deal approaching £20 million a year.
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