By Tony Attwood
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These are actual figures as reported in Arsenal’s report and accounts posted at Companies House…. (Last season’s figures are not published yet). Figures are in millions of pounds.
| Year to May ’23 | Year to May ’24 | Year to May ’25 | |
| International league… | Europa Lge | Champs Lge | Champs Lge |
| Club income | |||
| Matches | £103 | 132 | 154 |
| Broadcast | £191 | 262 | 278 |
| Commercial & Retail | £169 | 218 | 268 |
| Player loans | £2 | 2 | |
| Total Football revenue | 465 | 613 | 690 |
| Other | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Costs: | |||
| Football costs wages core | 235 | 328 | 347 |
| Football costs other | 112 | 147 | 200 |
| Amortisation of squad | 157 | 172 | 187 |
| Depreciation | 17 | 18 | 20 |
| Property & loans | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total costs | 522 | 665 | 756 |
| Loss | -55 | -49 | -65 |
| Player sales | 9 | 49 | 82 |
| Interest and charges | -6 | -18 | -18 |
| Overall loss | 52 | 28 | 1 |
Now overall in 2024/25, Premier League clubs had a turnover of £6.8 billion, which was a rise of 8% on the previous season which was £6.3 billion. This was at the top end of the range of the ‘big six’ clubs (including Arsenal of course) which drives the bulk of the Premier League’s income.
At the same time English football still tends to be increasingly popular across Europe and so more money is generally brought in from the sale of broadcasting rights each year. And as a result of this growing interest in the very top level of English football so there has been a rise in commercial revenue of 13%, with about three quarters of this being generated by the big six clubs.
Also the Premier League benefits from the variety of winners it can produce, although of course the attempted domination of the league by Manchester City has reduced the impact of this – at least for a while. It would appear that beyond the individual clubs that people support, those observing the leagues like to see different teams winning the leagues rather than Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG for example, winning their leagues, year after year. But these clubs have become dominant and make it hard for other clubs to challenge them.
But a gradual move away from such domination has undoubtedly helped the rise in revenue. And it is also interesting that two clubs outside of the group at the top have seen a serious growth in mathday income through having some success in Europe (Tottenham Hots and Manchester U), as well as Arsenal (whose position in the league and cups has improved year by year.)
But now we have a problem: revenue is increasing because of the success in Europe of three English teams – clubs that have also generated significant followings in Europe. That might be fine for England, but it doesn’t actually enthuse other European clubs to see supporters drop their affinity to their local team, and look instead toward a club in another country.
Yet there is no guarantee of English club profitability – for it is not guaranteed that the same six clubs will dominate English football each year. Indeed, English clubs’ wages rose by almost 10% last year – a figure that can’t be sustainable at clubs which are already losing money. Indeed, in Europe only eight clubs made a profit, as opposed to 13 the year before!
There is also a growing feeling that those supporters interested in any data beyond the league tables are quite happy to read free-to-access reports on the internet rather than any data they have to pay for. Effectively for most fans, all the stats and data they are interested in, are available for free. (I would exclude “Swiss Ramble” from this, to which I subscribe, but that’s about the only one).
Club income is rising because of extra games in the Champions League etc and ground improvements such as the new Tottenham ground can help. Likewise revenue from TV and radio continues to hold up but there is a limit to the number of games that can be shown. Also companies outside of football continue to believe in football as a good investment for sponsorship and advertising, and clubs themselves are expanding their retail business, although this remains a small proportion of their income.
But all things have a limit. Fans might buy three shirts but in terms of shirt sales etc some clubs seem to be approaching this maximum – while the cost of buying and paying players (and indeed Arsenal’s case the manager,) continues to rise.
Clubs can’t go beyond the 25 players aged over 21 they employ (most are now running at 22 or 23 players) and they can reign in appearance fees. If the Manchester City finances are brought under control, that too could reduce the demand for ever higher salaries.
At the moment clubs find it hard to say “we can’t pay that salary” when ManC is there to do so. But if Manc’s financial cheating is removed from the scene, that more than anything else could make the Premier League once more both competitive and sustainable.
ManC are of course resistant, but really, the long term future of the Premier League as we know it does depend on brining that club under financial control.
I have seen the figures, via TFT, that clearly demonstrate that Player prices and wages have increased in an unsustainable manner since the Mancs and Chavs started pumping ‘uneared’ money into their clubs. Many years ago on here I likened it to quantative easing and suggested that the outcome for football would be the same as it is for countries when this happens. namely unsustainable ‘hyper inflation’.
Basicallly in laymens terms, to keep up with the financially ‘doped’ clubs, the premier league, or more accurately the terms within it, had to, and still are, spending beyond their means, hence the losses Tony is talking about.
A report just out has stated that 90% of clubs would go out of business if the owner did not fanancially support them, to some degree or another. The report went on to say that this is an sustainable situation and will inevitablly lead to many clubs going out of businuess, due to the owner pulling out of the club, for whatever reason.
For example, if the Mansours pulled out today Man City would be finnished.
It says if ‘unlimited’ spending, which is what Man City want, is allowed to happen, this will magnify the problem enornously.
This is what I don’t understand about Man City’s stance. Lets say they succeed and we have unlimited spending, that in essence will be the end of their domination. Why? Because Newcastle Uniteds owners have about 10 times the amount of money their owners do.
It may taske a couple of seasons but they will simply buy ALL the top players and put them all on the top salleries. Not only that, with the money they have they can buy the 2nd best player in every position as well. They can also buy the 3rd best player in every position as well if they so want.
It wouldn’t only be the end of Man City, it would be the end of the Premier League within 5 to 10 years.
We are all in this mess because of Chelsea and Man City, yet they try and claim they are doing what they are doing for all the ‘little’ clubs. And whats more they are only doing it because of the Red Cartel.
They are trying to push this narrative that if they can smash the Red Cartell, and everyone can spend as much as they like, that some how that will give a chance to EVERY OTHER club to win the title.
Two things.
1) What utter bollocks. This is about Man City attempting to have total domination of football throught Europe.
2) It will only benifit one team. THE ONE WITH THE RICHEST OWNERS.
Nobody else will get a look in.
And as an aside, even if Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have dominated the league for large periods of time that has all been down to how the clubs have been run over decades. Over more than a century in fact. When they have been ran poorly that have won nothing and even been relegated in some cases. No Cartel saved them from that.
All three have endoured very long periods of failure. No Cartel to save them from that.
Newcastle, Aston villa, and every other team can, at this time, build their club organicallly as much as they want. There is nothing stopping them building a bigger stadium or as many accadamys around the World as they want. They can promote their club and build their fan base however they see fit.
Arsenal invested in a brand new training ground. and a brand new stadium. All within the rules. It not only cost us money, but years of insults and abuse.
We soldiered on and here we are. Despite all their cheating we have overtaken bnoth Chelsea and Man City
AND THE CHEATS DON’T LIKE IT.
So what do they want to do. CHEAT EVEN MORE!
Watching City now is actually sickening. From the owners, manager and players, to the fans, ex players and ex coach. They are a sham. They are shameful.
The joy I am going to feel when they are taken down will be indiscribable.