KSE OUT!! – spending misconceptions

This item is from Transfermarkt.com and shows the spending of PL clubs since 2011.

2011 is the year KSE became the majority shareholder of Arsenal.

I think we need to expose some myths regarding KSE’s ownership if we’re to unite to get him out.

We need a clear narrative in place, in order to formulate ways to get him to change or to get him to sell up.

One can see here that since 2011, we’ve spent 5th highest figure. The far-right column shows net-spend, though gross spend is in the far left column.

Man City and Chelsea for much of this period were financially doped by their owners. Due to their successes, such as multiple leagues, cups, and European trophies, they’ve also brought in much prize monies, TV revenues, and commercial deals. So it’s no surprise they’ve signed over £2bn worth of players since 2011.

Man United is a bigger club than Arsenal – and whilst we’re a global brand, they are arguably THE global brand. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona rival or surpass their commercial revenues or overall income. So they can spend more than us at will, given this base.

Liverpool’s income has been similar to ours in the period – though, with their contemporary rise and re-birth under owners FSG and Klopp and their CL and potential PL successes, they have overtaken us in revenue terms lately. Even still, until the CL win in 2019 (against our “good friends” no less) they only won the League Cup in 2012 under club legend Sir “King” Kenny Dalglish. They also had made numerous transfer market gaffes in this period, such as Andy Carroll, Mahamdou Sakho, Cristian Benteke, and Charlie Adam.

Spurs’ absolute spending has been £100m under our own. Though whilst hilariously not winning anything since 2008, their increased match-day incomes will see their transfer budgets rise accordingly.

If looking at overall revenues in the period, as well as financial sources, being 5th in this capacity since 2011 makes sense. One can expect to see Everton creep up the table in the coming years, and if Newcastle gets taken over then perhaps it too will ascend.

The fact remains that we are spending to our limit, and have done, and thus it’s a myth to suggest that we don’t spend money at all.

Or more to the point that KSE doesn’t let us spend.

The past few transfer windows have shattered that myth alone. The 2018 and 2019 summer windows saw us spend nearly £200m in fee totals. Since 2017, we’ve broken our transfer record three times, namely via Lacazette, Aubameyang, and Pepe.

If compared on a Europe-wide basis, we were 13th in the same period.

Considering the clubs in the top ten, and their relative successes and revenues, Arsenal is doing well to be in 13th place. All of the other clubs above it, bar Roma and Inter, have won their respective national league or a European trophy since 2011.