Arsenal's Financial Situation

[PairyGrows]

Considering the recent financial results for the 2019-20 season, it is pertinent once again to discuss Arsenal’s financial position and its impacts on the club’s future. Optimism in this post will be scarce.

We have announced a loss of £47.8m, a hair-raising figure. Seeing as the impacts of the pandemic only affect the last three months of the season, its real and ongoing impact is not even remotely reflected in last season’s results. The almost complete lack of matchday income for the 2020-21 season will likely result in extremely ugly figures for the year. One thing is for certain: our financial problems are much likelier to worsen than improve for the foreseeable future.

It is incorrect to attribute our financial crisis to the pandemic even though it has undeniably contributed to the scale of our woes. We have been going through this since 2017 when we fell out of the top four. We have tried quick fixes, but now we have exhausted our options to no avail. It is time to accept the reality and start living within our means. This means that, unless we qualify for the Champions League this season, we must start both selling players without replacements to increase our turnover as well as trimming our wage bill.

The reality is that Arsenal are a small club, which will likely not change anytime soon. As a fanbase, that is a very bitter pill to swallow. However, I believe it is healthier to have a realistic outlook than to build up false optimism based on delusion.

[Phil71]

As soon as I saw 'Arsenal are a small club' I decided it's not worth replying.

[PairyGrows]

As soon as I saw 'Arsenal are a small club' I decided it's not worth replying.

Why is that?

[Salibatelli]

I think he probably meant a big club that has a small club mentality, we don’t act like a big club at all in the way we do things, always cutting corners, trying to save pennies sometimes in the most ridiculous ways and generally not being that bothered about success.

[Arsenal Tone]

Are Nottingham Forest a small club?

[PairyGrows]

I think he probably meant a big club that has a small club mentality, we don’t act like a big club at all in the way we do things, always cutting corners, trying to save pennies sometimes in the most ridiculous ways and generally not being that bothered about success.

This is accurate, but along with this we no longer have the finances of a big club. Four (soon to be five) consecutive years outside the Champions League when the money involved in that competition has left us trailing behind our domestic rivals in terms of finances.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Our transfers are now based on how much we can borrow. That's not sustainable. Neither is finishing below Top 6 with players on 200k and 300k pw.

Without CL football we will need to start selling players. Not deadwood, but players that can actually fetch a decent price, like Bellerin and Saliba.

[theHotHead]

Are Nottingham Forest a small club?

Historically no, they are a big club, currently they are nowhere near what they used to be.

Other big clubs that have lost their shine, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday

[VCC]

Would be doing finances of the fans a world of good, there will be many fans starting to switch off, power savings right there.