ARSENAL and KSE, seemingly through Raul Sanllehi, have asked the first team playing staff to accept a pay cut of up to 12.5 per cent for the next 12 months.
It’s a request the players reportedly have overwhelmingly rejected, although an official club statement today insists constructive talks are ongoing.
It is always difficult to be dispassionate and objective as a fan, when it goes against the very grain of being one.
Certainly, The Sun’s poll and my own on social media, suggest that around 80 per cent of Arsenal supporters feel that players should take the reduction to assist the club through these choppy waters.
Of course, ask the same supporters, if they would willingly accept a cut in wages, if requested by their employer, and they might offer an alternative response.
From my point of view, I can understand why the club are concerned at costs, and player wages just happen to be the highest, but I have less sympathy than some.
Arsenal Football Club, as Josh Kroenke stated publicly last year, are a Europa League club built and running on costs and wages for the Champions League.
In addition, as a club they are more reliant than most on matchday revenue, which they have obviously not been receiving of late.
However, despite the fact that Premier League player wages are frankly ridiculous at the top end, those contracts were willingly offered by the club and the Arsenal players have also indicated they are happy to defer if the money saved goes to pay the rest of Arsenal’s staff.
They are already supporting the NHS. I can understand why they feel that if they give in to this demand it might well be a dangerous precedent and the tip of the iceberg.
Arsenal’s owner is a billionaire, who, so far, has been unwilling to put his hand in his own pocket and the players are obviously well aware of KSE’s position.
Their stance, given that stark fact, is understandable. The harsh reality at present is that unless the Arsenal team and coaching staff, when and if the 2019/20 campaign is concluded, can forge a run of remarkable form to regain a Champions League return, we are in big trouble.
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