Arsenal’s financial accounts from 2022/23 have shown a £52m loss. Compared to the £45m loss in the previous year, it increased by 23% despite football revenue rising from £369m to £465m.
£18m were lost to write-downs on certain player registrations, primarily related to Nicolas Pepe who signed for the Gunners in 2019 for £72m. This represented a new expense that did not influence the loss much in 2021/22. Furthermore, profit on player sales halved from around £22m in the previous year to £10.7m.
A positive financial aspect for the Gunners was their return to the Europa League, which added games to their schedule, as well as their performance in the Premier League. With 24 well-visited home games to cover, there was a crucial rise in broadcasting, commercial and match-day revenue. Especially a broadcasting increase of 31% and commercial increase of £27.6m played a significant role in securing revenue.
Due to further investments in both, the women’s and men’s squads, wages increased by 11%, adding to the overall loss of £34m before tax. In a statement, Arsenal said: “During 2022/23 and subsequently during the summer 2023 transfer window the club has again invested strongly in the development of its men’s first team playing resources.”
Although Arsenal is still in a good financial position through owner Stan Kroenke, only five Premier League sides have had bigger financial losses. Especially, compared to other big six teams such as Manchester City, who reported a record-breaking £80m profit, Arsenal’s figures clearly indicate a financial deficit.