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Alta ultimately saying like if you're in pain you sometimes just have to feel it and it will make you better. Dave Ornstein has joined us as well. Um Dave, you've been at the heart of the transfer news for Arsenal for as long as I can remember now especially. Obviously this is going to hurt them a lot but let's try and put it into perspective for the club because Mikuel Arteta promised he would bring something to this team. He has reshaped everything. He has brought them their first Premier League in 22 years and he's brought them to a Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. That is an incredible achievement and I imagine Arsenal, the hierarchy, couldn't ask for much more.
Absolutely. And they backed him in the not so good times. They're absolutely behind him now. So, I'd expect him to get a pretty handsome new contract uh this summer, probably before next season starts. And I'd also expect them to back him in the transfer market again. We saw Andrea Berta just by the dugout. He looked devastated. He's their sporting director and he'll be so determined to go again in the transfer market to really improve the quality in that squad. and their finances are in fantastic shape. So I would say this is a season of success, of progress, nearly even greater history and uh they're really in good shape under Mikuel Arteta to go on.
Tell us obviously winning the Premier League makes a huge difference, but tell us about those finances and what they've done this season that's been so different. Well, they're on track to break Premier League records for revenue. It could go up to about£770 million, which has never been done. They're going to cross the 300 million pound mark um for television money, which has never been done. So this is fantastic. The revenues are going through the roof at Arsenal. It's a period of milk and honey if you if you like. Uh that wasn't always the case. They were a team who was struggling post Emirates Stadium move. Uh they posted uh profits, but
that was cuz they were selling a lot of their best players. They weren't competing. They went I think it was something like 15 or more years of making profits. In the last seven years, and it will probably be eight now, they're going to post a loss, but that's because the Kronis, KSC, the ownership, have backed Mikarta in the market. They've invested very heavily. They've even put their own money in, which everybody was asking for. They wanted success now, and it's come. It's been vindicated. They comply with all the rules. They look like they'll continue to do so. I do think they might have to sell some players in the near future.
They don't have to break even or anything like that in 2026, but I think to keep things balanced, to keep compliant is probably quite wise and then might not have this success again. So, it's probably necessary. It is a stronger position. That's right. Going to the Emirates was just, you know, the promised land, huge bills, £22 million a year they were having to cover when they to service that loan. The manager signs a lengthy contract and now they're the they own the club on their own, the grand case. So, they can push and they can put the monies in. The revenue is astronomical. Arsenal fans have been coming out of the closet all over the world. Africa, you want to see
the clamor for it. It's enormous. And I think that came from the brand of Arson Wenger and somewhere they lost winning things, but they're on their way to doing that again. Uh you mentioned um Mikuel Arteta's contract a minute ago. He's got one year left on the current month. Surely after everything is achieved, he can walk into that office and say, "Here's my number. You pay it to keep me." And sign him to a long contract. Yeah. He's already on very lucrative terms. He earns around 15 million pounds a year. uh gross uh and he'll want to rise on that. Pep Guardiola's gone now, so you could see Mikuel Artetta
perhaps as one of the or if not the best paid player in the Premier uh coach in the Premier League. And you might say deservedly so. Uh the boys are right. They spent 267 million in the market last summer. They recouped very little and I could see because they know the need to improve at that top end. They're behind statistically and you can see it with your eyes. The likes of PSG and Bayern Munich and so on. The number nine position is interesting, a penny for the thoughts of Victor Jocker tonight, of course, his first season and he helped them to this final and then was put on the bench. Um, and then the leftsided attack is a big priority for
them and they've been looking at it for a few years and I think this may be the summer where they really do go for something. They've got the options there. They want a 68 midfielder. They want to strengthen at right back as well. So, when you tally up the amount they've got to do, you could see that outlay in the market from last summer repeated or even exceeded. And as Stevie says, make hay when the sun shines. The money is big now. And so it's almost like investing when you're on the top.
