Arsenal have placed 11th for the third straight year in Deloitte's annual Money League with the north London club the third biggest money-making machine in the capital and sixth in the Premier League. The club posted a revenue of £324.5million, down 6% year-on-year, for the 2020-21 campaign despite having almost no matchday income.
The club had the 12th highest commercial income of £136.4million and made £184.4million in broadcast revenue, the 13th highest figure. Their wage to revenue ratio was around 75%, slightly below Chelsea and far higher than Tottenham Hotspur. Beyond the money the club has no women or minority ethnic representation on its board and it is a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, Deloitte said. Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who is British-Indian, is not on the board.
Not being involved in European competition this season may hurt their ranking next season but with Mikel Arteta's side well in the running for a Champions League return, their place among the super clubs does not appear under much risk.
There are 11 Premier League clubs in the top 20; four of them London sides. Chelsea sit eighth and Spurs in 10th are closely followed by Arsenal in 11th. West Ham United are among four new entries, placing 16th overall, in another display of English football’s financial strength compared to their continental rivals. Three more Premier League sides occupy spots between 21st and 30th.
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The most notable development is Manchester City’s rise to the summit, with the league leaders becoming only the fourth club to top a list that has been published since 2006. That is a consequence of an eye-opening rise in commercial revenue that has brought significant questions and a spike in broadcast revenue, partially as a consequence of the season before last being delayed by coronavirus.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich remain second and third as last year’s number one, Barcelona, fell to fourth. Manchester United have slipped one spot to fifth and Liverpool sit seventh.
“Despite an ever-changing economic environment, the top 14 clubs in this year’s Money League are consistent, but in a slightly rearranged order for the fourth successive year,” the report said. “Notably, this includes 11 of the 12 proposed European Super League founders (excluding AC Milan), with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain not amongst the original participants.”
