Arsenal trump Man City as £76m off-pitch boost Stan Kroenke loves revealed

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal may have been narrowly bested by Man City on the pitch in recent years but the latest analysis suggests they are gaining ground on their rivals in one key area.

At £374m, Arsenal had the lowest playing budget (wages + transfer amortisation) of all the clubs in the so-called Big Six in 2022-23, the last year for which full financial data is available.

For context, Man City‘s playing budget over the same period was £568m, behind only free-spending Chelsea in the Premier League.

Historic reasons have played a part in Arsenal falling away from their peer group in terms of the amount they can spend.

They ended a seven-year wait for lucrative Champions League football in 2023-24, and that absence has had a direct impact on commercial income as well as prize money.

Their commercial income for 2022-23 was a club-record £173m, but that is still significantly lower than next challenger Chelsea’s.

However, a new report suggests that Arsenal are very much headed in the right direction in this regard. And that will be music to the ears of owner Stan Kroenke.

Arsenal’s brand growing quicker than any other Premier League club

Arsenal are one of the UK’s most recognisable brand exports.

In almost any territory in the world, football fans have heard of the Gunners and likely consume their media thanks to the Premier League’s astonishing overseas TV deal.

The question for Arsenal, as it is with every other member of the Big Six, is how to directly monetise their overseas following.

They have some good news in that regard thanks to the latest study from world-renowned group Brand Finance, who have found that Arsenal’s brand is growing faster than any other Premier League club’s.

The report explains that Arsenal’s brand has grown by £76m over the past year in a 9.9 per cent upswing, eclipsing Man City’s growth of seven per cent.

Overall, the Gunners’ brand is estimated to be worth around £840m.

Why does this matter? Because owner Stan Kroenke‘s ultimate aim is to sell the club for a massive profit.

The Gunners’ rising brand value will allow the Missouri-born billionaire to ensure maximum returns.

• READ MORE ARSENAL FINANCE NEWS: Stan Kroenke has personally negotiated £120m off-pitch deal as Arsenal plan emerges

TBR Analysis: When will Kroenke sell Arsenal?

Kroenke senior has taken more of a hands-off approach at Arsenal in recent years, delegating day-to-day responsibilities to his son, Josh, who is now the club’s co-chair.

By all accounts, the 76-year-old is more involved in his US-based portfolio, which encompasses seven sports teams and a thriving property empire.

He sees Arsenal as a capital appreciation project and will, at some point, want a return. The dilemma he faces is when exactly that be.

High interest rates mean that the pool of investors who could theoretically complete an Arsenal takeover may be slightly limited at present.

There is also the looming threat of an independent regulator for English football, which Arsenal oppose and which many Premier League owners think could deter foreign investment.

All that is to say, we cannot know what Kroenke’s long-term intentions are at the Emirates, but as seen with Man United in recent years, things can move quickly when he eventually chooses to pull the trigger.