‘He’s a money fan’: Football finance expert explains Stan Kroenke’s plans for cutbacks at Arsenal
Arsenal’s owners are coming under fire for apparently considering cuts at the club which are likely to affect plenty of backroom staff.
Despite the club’s recent success and their huge spending in the transfer market, Arsenal are still a business and the Kroenke family are known for being ruthless if needed.
Like most American owners in English football, making cost-cutting savings is part of the business model.
And while it might seem harsh to Arsenal fans looking on, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has spoken exclusively to us here at Arsenal Insider to explain the reasoning.
Why Stan Kroenke is looking to make cuts at Arsenal
These sorts of things are never easy. For the staff likely to be affected, it’s now a nervous time, while fans in general will question the integrity of the decision.
Nevertheless, it all comes down to money and efficiency and according to Maguire, The Kroenkes are simply doing what they feel is best for business.
“It does seem harsh in many ways with all of those backroom staff contributing to them taking off that they will now be nervously looking over their shoulders,” Maguire told Arsenal Insider.
“But Stan Kroenke isn’t a football fan, he’s a money fan and he’s been very successful at making money and so they now feel that while there’s such a feeling of goodwill towards the club from the fanbase then this is the ideal chance to target costs and by costs, we’re talking about jobs.
“It’s a shame as Arsenal in recent years have positioned themselves as London’s premier community club but these actions being taken, it’s very noticeable that the Glazers were reluctant to go down that route and had to use a third party through Ineos to make the decisions that they wanted that they knew would face a huge backlash.
“The Arsenal owners are very popular at the moment and they might feel this is the ideal opportunity to take advantage of that.”
With Arsenal and Mikel Arteta not wanting any distractions this season, these sorts of reports surfacing in the media are unhelpful.
The Gunners board needs to ensure this is kept in check as much as possible. There is a great feeling around the club at the moment but we all know that be undone quickly.