Arsenal players, boss Arteta agree to pay cut

Arsenal became the first Premier League club to agree on a coronavirus pay cut with their players as manager Mikel Arteta and his stars slashed their wages by 12.5%.

After Southampton and West Ham announced wage deferral agreements with their players, Arsenal went one step further by securing the pay cut.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time,” Arsenal said.

“The move follows positive and constructive discussions.

“In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the gravity of the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to show their backing for the Arsenal family.”

The pay deals come after a series of negotiations amid a backdrop of criticism for Premier League players over their failure to agree to quick wage cuts while some top flight teams furloughed non-playing staff to save money.

The Premier League asked clubs to put a 30% pay cut to players, but the English Professional Footballers’ Association said that would affect tax contributions to the UK’s state-run National Health Service.

It was reported that Arsenal initially proposed a 12-month drop in salary for their players.

After a muted response to their request, Arsenal were able to secure the agreement thanks to Arteta’s influence, according to reports.

Arteta, who has recovered after contracting the virus last month, spoke to his 27-man squad in a video call.

Last week, Arsenal said their executive team, including the CEO Vinai Venkatesham and the head of football Raul Sanllehi, would waive more than a third of their earnings over the next year. —