Arsenal have spent big in recent years, with their outlay reflected in their major change in fortunes on the pitch under Mikel Arteta.
They have run Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Man City side close for the Premier League title in the last two season, while 2023-24 saw them return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
The cash invested over that period represents something of a departure from the norm for owner Stan Kroenke, who has historically championed a more sustainable model.
The 76-year-old has handed over responsibility for the day-to-day running of the club to son Josh, who has been explicit about his aim to make Arsenal a titan of European football once more.
But in an era when spending is anchored to revenue in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules (FFP in old money), what capacity do the Gunners have to pull off the biggest signings?
To explore that question and the wider financial landscape at the Emirates, TBR spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer and Price of Football author Kieran Maguire.
What is Kroenke’s spending strategy at Arsenal and how does it compare to their Big Six rivals?
The blockbuster signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz last summer were a statement of intent for Arsenal.
Those deals, which were part of a spree that cost £200m, went a long way towards deflecting criticism of the club’s financial approach in recent years, which some fans suggested lacked ambition.
However, after crunching the numbers, Maguire believes that those insinuations were perhaps slightly unjustified.
“Sometimes you have to prime the pump to move from position A to position B in terms of success on the pitch,” he said.
“Kroenke has made that decision to increase spending. They realise that they made a number of acquisitions – Aubameyang and Ozil etc – that didn’t work out or had messy and expensive endings. So I think there has been a cultural change.
But in an era when spending is anchored to revenue in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules (FFP in old money), what capacity do the Gunners have to pull off the biggest signings?
To explore that question and the wider financial landscape at the Emirates, TBR spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer and Price of Football author Kieran Maguire.
What is Kroenke’s spending strategy at Arsenal and how does it compare to their Big Six rivals?
The blockbuster signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz last summer were a statement of intent for Arsenal.
But in an era when spending is anchored to revenue in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules (FFP in old money), what capacity do the Gunners have to pull off the biggest signings?
To explore that question and the wider financial landscape at the Emirates, TBR spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer and Price of Football author Kieran Maguire.
What is Kroenke’s spending strategy at Arsenal and how does it compare to their Big Six rivals?
The blockbuster signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz last summer were a statement of intent for Arsenal.
