Gunners’ chief spells it out

ARSENAL chief executive Ivan Gazidis has spelled out his plan to keep the Gunners’ “key talents” at the Emirates Stadium as the club announced half-yearly figures that showed a rise in player wages and a drop in football-related profits.

Gazidis said the Gunners were in a “very healthy financial position” but the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust fear the £4.5m (€5.3m) rise in the wage bill will lead to the club paying more than 50% of their football-related turnover on player salaries for the first time since moving to the new stadium.

The rise in the wage bill is due in part to a deliberate policy of signing the squad up to long, lucrative contracts. Gazidis said: