Stefan Borson drops update on Arsenal breaching financial rules
Arsenal enjoyed a strong first half of the season as they continue to challenge on all fronts.
Arsenal beat Bournemouth 3-2 in their latest outing, extending their lead to six points at the top of the Premier League table.
Mikel Arteta’s side are also top of the Champions League table and will face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
However, it was previously revealed Arsenal were “close” to breaching Uefa’s financial rules following their heavy spending in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea and Aston Villa were charged with breaching the governing body’s rules last July, leading to significant fines.
Why Arsenal are set to avoid Uefa rule breach
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Arsenal’s performances in the Champions League will ensure they avoid breaching Uefa’s spending rules.
Clubs in European competitions were required to keep spending on player wages and fees to 80 per cent of revenue in 2023-24, while they were permitted to lose up to £77million over a three-year period.
However, the squad cost control ratio dropped to 70 per cent in 2024-25 and will remain at that level moving forward.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Arsenal’s situation, Borson said: “I don’t think there’s an issue in the year because I think they probably could have performed right to the top of their budget.
“They would have maxed out their expectation in the Champions League. They would have maxed out their expectation on gate receipts. They had domestic cup games as well.
“I think if you were to look at a sort of forecast from the summer to 31 December, it’s hard to imagine that they could have generated much more money than they did.”
How Arsenal recorded ‘perfect’ financial performance
Borson insisted Arsenal’s position has been boosted by their “perfect” financial performance.
“I think they’ve had almost a perfect few months from a financial perspective, and on the field as well, obviously the two things are deeply interconnected,” said Borson.
“It’s very hard to think that they were in any sort of issue with the 70 per cent, given how they performed in the Champions League really.”
Arsenal’s wage bill is the fourth-highest in the Premier League, with their latest published accounts for 2023-24 revealing their wage bill surged from £234.8m in 2022-23 to £327.8m.
Meanwhile, the Gunners posted a club-record revenue after their turnover improved from £466.7m to £616.6m across the same period.
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