Arsenal are set to be one of the main protagonists of the upcoming summer transfer window, with the club’s latest financial records suggesting they are well positioned to be “very competitive” in the market.
Having made what was considered a moderate investment in signings during the 2024-25 season, approximately £88m, the club recorded a total loss of just £1.4m in that fiscal year while posting record revenue of £691m.
The positive financial outlook at the end of that campaign helped Arsenal make significant investments ahead of the 2025-26 season, when the club spent £250m on seven players, not including potential add-ons.
Arsenal in a strong position to spend
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According to football finance analyst Kieran Maguire, the Gunners remain in a solid position to invest further in their squad.
“Arsenal have no concerns whatsoever about complying with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, the squad cost ratio rules or the current and future Premier League rules,” Maguire told The Standard.
This is largely due to the club’s wage bill equating to only around 50% of revenue. According to the 2025 Deloitte Football Money League reportArsenal had the second-best wage-to-revenue ratio in the Premier League at 53%, behind only Tottenham at 42%.
The record revenue of £691m was driven primarily by the commercial sector, which rose from £218.3m to £263.2m, boosted by a 27% increase in retail operations.
“Arsenal’s financial results show that the investment and strategy employed by the most senior members of the club have paid off, both on and off the pitch,” Maguire added.
Ticket price changes set to boost Arsenal revenue
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Arsenal’s revenue could receive a further boost in the coming years through matchday income. The club recently announced that ticket prices for next season will rise for the fifth consecutive campaign, this time by an average of 3.9%.
Arsenal attributed the increase to rising operational costs on matchdays and the need to continue investing in the squad. The announcement drew a negative reaction from supporters, with fans accusing the club of acting like FIFA by introducing a new premium ticket category, a move that proved controversial during World Cup ticket sales.
“While fans will not necessarily be happy with price increases, they have transformed the club from a commercial point of view,” the analyst said.
Chelsea record historic losses
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In stark contrast to Arsenal, Chelsea recorded the largest pre-tax loss in English football history during the 2024-25 season. UEFA’s annual European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report, which lists the 10 clubs with the biggest losses in a given season, placed the London club last.
In their third full season under the consortium led by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, Chelsea recorded a deficit of £342m before tax. Only Barcelona’s loss of £409m (€481m) in 2020-21 exceeded that figure, though that came during a season affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the return of Joan Laporta as president.
Chelsea have accumulated significant operating losses in recent years, exceeding £200m in each of the three seasons prior to the last, owing to falling revenues combined with considerable cost increases. Among the extraordinary expenses that negatively affected Chelsea’s figures in 2024-25 was a £27m fine imposed by UEFA after the Blues breached two of its financial rules.
As The Athletic noted, the UEFA report does not provide full details of individual club finances, meaning the exact composition of the record loss remains unclear. A source told the outlet that the write-downs included player devaluations as well as other asset write-offs, and that the enormous deficit did not reflect operational performance or how finances would look in the current and future seasons.
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