True or or not I don’t know but reports flying around late yesterday afternoon suggested that Arsenal are heading for hard times financially which if true, blow my theory of the club probably being one of the lucky ones through all this, right out the window. The players have allegedly been asked to take a pay cut with a five point plan in place. According to John Cross of The Mirror that is.
- A 12.5 per cent pay cut for 12 months from April 2020 to March 2021. (players paid in final week of each month so to start this month)
- The full amount is then refunded if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League.
- If Arsenal do not qualify for the Champions League, no money is returned back.
- If Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League, but qualify for the Europa League the cut becomes 7.5 per cent.
- If the season does not finish and/or Arsenal does not get full money from broadcasters then they will ask the players to find a “further solution”.
With the aid of a calculator, I’ve worked out what this would equate to. Roughly of course and assuming the players wages information found on the internet are indeed correct.
- 12.5% of Mesut Ozil’s £350k weekly salary works out as £43.75k.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang £200k salary = £24k a week.
- Alexandre Lacazette £182k salary = £22.75k a week.
- Nicolas Pepe £140k salary = £17.50k a week.
- David Luiz £125k salary = £15.50k a week.
And so it goes on but the above five are our highest earners. Sell Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette this summer and problem solved surely, plus the club would have a hundred odd million pounds to bank. Better still, reinvest but control the wage bill better than when Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis did which quite frankly, can’t be that difficult.
Now it’s even more clear as to why this current board wouldn’t stretch to whatever demands Aaron Ramsey’s agent was making. It makes more sense, business sense at least, to let him go for nothing, promote an under 23 player or buy someone cheaper and younger and pay him less. Someone who’ll then attract big offers from abroad. Like the board have done by signing Torreira, Saliba, Martinelli, Guendouzi and to a degree, Pepe although he’ll need to have a fantastic second second if Arsenal are to have a hope in heck of making a profit on him.
Alternatively, the players just accept the pay cut which in my opinion, would be the absolute right decision. 12.5% is a drop in the ocean and should this season start up again, if they want that money back, go and earn it by securing a top four spot, or at least giving everything they have so if other clubs slip up, we can take advantage. If money matters to them that much, then the incentive is right there in front of them. Even securing a Europa place will help prevent them from worrying about how to stretch their money out each week.
The Mirror ‘understands’ that the Arsenal players will flatly refuse to take this pay cut but will consider a deferral. No surprise really as the advice from the PFA is to do exactly that.
** Update. The players are reported to have agreed to donate a week’s salary to the non playing staff wage bill. This should ensure no one is furloughed. Nice.
Stay safe guys and stay healthy..
Totally agree Sue, that and Prime..
New post up now.
You can’t beat a bit of Netflix, Rico 😉
Arsenal reloaded later – our 4-0 over Villa on the final day 2015/16.
Both Longstaff’s then Kev. Mind you, Newcastle are on the verge of a takeover so I doubt they’ll sell many this summer, either that or their investors are ready spend big…
I’ve paused both Sky and Bt Sue and haven’t missed either. I’ve been watching Netflix after being recommended one to watch.
That and gardening… 😆
Now Longstaff is a good player, we could do with a few more tough Northern lads in our squad and he’d fit the bill nicely.
Clubs for sale eh?
Just ready to be picked off by Chinese speculators…
Fair play to him 👍👍
Just seen that Bournemouth have reversed their furlough decision…..
Well Rico, all I’ve watched this afternoon is replays on Sky.. our 4-4 against the spuds (boo! 😄). Our 1-0 against the Mancs (Overmars – yay!!)…. and the best goals from certain seasons!!
Didn’t fancy BT as they’ve been showing a lot of Liverpool lately haha!!
Still keeping busy in your garden?
Says it all Sue…
Possibly makes a difference to him as he’s English. He’s a player we’re rumoured to be looking at.
Matty Longstaff earns £850 😳 a week at Newcastle and is donating 30% to the NHS..
Afternoon Adam. I wonder if Arsenal might be one of them. If ever there’s a time Stan might be interested in selling, I’d have thought it was now…
Morning Rico. I imagine that many clubs are up for sale right now. I heard that this has been the case for quite some time but, given the present predicament, that number must have increased. Where money is concerned sentiment is the first casualty.
Morning all.
Not sure about a pay rise but perhaps now he’s got the key to the door, he’ll find it…
My right hand say’s Happy 21st Birthday Guendouzi now my left hand asked can he donate to the club as we are running low on money
Hi All if we can not get top money for senior players should Arsenal play by the FFP Rules or bend the rules slightly like some other clubs have done ?
He will want a pay rise then .
Happy Birthday Guendouzi… 21 today!
Hi Rico not sure how it works in England but if the players donate say 20 percent of one match fee can the players claim it back on there taxes because if they can then the players don’t have too much to loose
HI Rico no offence taken just trying to talk about some thing different to the virus but on a serious note I think this virus has been a big wake up for all owners and Arsene Wenger that giving money to the owners or Kroenke sports for services supplied is not the way to go.
Thanks Rico 😊 you too 👍
All really daft ideas imo Geoff, no offence meant. Adhere to the rules, not break them.
Afternoon Sue, you must have heard my comment.. lol
My mums good thanks, bored to tears but fit and well. Thanks re the post too.
Not good to hear about your place of work, you keep safe and hope those who are poorly recover well.
Agree, 12.5% drop from top to bottom, wouldn’t harm any of them… Not if the club has to take drastic measures.
Cicero, being fit and being ready to play regularly are two different things though. Look at Holding and Bellerin now.. I realised you meant next season though.
Hi Rico 4 Easy ways to fix the FFP rule
(1) Make up any business name and claim they are a new sponsor
(2) Follow other clubs a don’t worry about the FFP rule and except one year ban from the transfer market
(3) Claim hard ship and that due to lack of income we need to add money to keep all employees in a job
(4) Tell players to keep quite and donate 30 percent of there pay to the club and Kroenke give the players a block of land to the same value ( 30 percent ) and hope we don’t get court
Good afternoon, Rico! Another great read. I’ve just seen that the spuds have reversed their decision to furlough. Surely they’ll end up selling players??!!
12.5% is a drop in the ocean, would they really miss it??!! I know everyone lives to their means, but not everyone is on that obscene amount of money each week!
But if they do end up donating a week’s wages, I guess that wouldn’t be too shabby.. and I hope that applies to all the other big earners – Arteta, Raul, Edu etc…
Aww thank you, Rico, I’m ok. We have 4 cases at work.. been horrendous. How are you? And how is your Mum?
Chambers should be fit by the time next season starts Rico, that’s when I was talking about. Holding has plenty of time to get up to speed. The same applies to Tierney and Bellerin. Kolascinac too.
How can he Geoff? FFP doesn’t allow that as far as I’m aware. Clubs can only spend what they earn. It’d be like saying ‘print more money’ in order to solve the financial problems around the world surely…
Hi All Hope you all had a happy Easter,
I don’t think the players should take a pay cut after all Kroenke and his son want to brag about all these big clubs and stadiums they own then he should let the moths out of his wallet and pay the players and staff if they can not stand the heat get out of the kitchen and sell Arsenal to some one who can
I do hope Sue is ok, she’s not been on here for a while and she works in a care home or somewhere similar…
And to you Kev.
I too would like to see the board members take a pay cut if players do. Including Mikel Arteta. If Eddie Howe can, So can Arteta.
You too Limey.
Chambers is still injured though Cicero, Holding is yet to return full time let alone prove he’s back to his best and Saliba is not only young but unproven in the PL, not that I’d imagine he’ll have any problems although he too seems to suffer injuries. I’d keep Luiz as he’s only with us for another season.
Other than that I can’t see any point in holding on to the older players whose contracts are either up next year and want a pay rise, or who another club make a good offer for. Any offer in the case of Ozil..
Afternoon All, and a Happy Easter Monday.
Thanks for the post Rico…
We’ve yet to hear how much of a reduction in wages that Raul and Edu are willing to accept?
Maybe our directors could set an example by paying for their seats?
And if we have a fire sale of players I’d expect a 12.5% reduction in the price of season tickets.
It is said that if we don’t make it into the Champions League, the club must reduce the wage bill by £25 million a year. That means getting rid of a few of the top earners. It would make sense to offer Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan and Ozil for sale at bargain prices to get them off the books. I would even go so far as to offer Ozil as a free transfer.
As Rico posted the other day, we have ready made replacements waiting in the wings, Pepe, Nketiah, Martinelli, Willock and Nelson to mention just five.
With Chambers, hopefully, Holding and Saliba we could also release Luiz and Sokratis too.
The 2020/21 season should be used to consolidate what we have and make ready to challenge for the top in 2021/22.
morning all!
We would play tomorrow in Brighton, if the calendar was a month ago.
News from the start of the season finale?
Morning all… Agree re. players could easily afford a pay cut but instead of putting it squarely on their shoulders, shouldn’t our owner be taking more responsibility for his staff?
Thanks Rico,
this seems reasonable to me, especially as there’s a performance related element.The PFA will be against that though.
I wonder if Coronavirus might give Ozil an unexpected exit.He has always said he will see out his contract, maybe he could be tempted to move to Turkey,they only have a tenth of the UK’s deaths, and with a larger population.
Realistically I see our most saleable assets as Aubameyang and Lacazette, what we could get for them,post virus is anyone’s guess.
Stay safe everyone,all the best.
I forgot the ‘k’ Cicero
I think your calculator may need new batteries Rico. 12.5 % of £350,000 is £43,750.