Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal’s plan to axe 60 members of staff, saying the job cuts are being done to ‘achieve the success we want to create’.

The redundancies will not affect the men’s and women’s teams coaching or backroom staff, the club’s community operation, the Arsenal Foundation and security staff. Instead, the cuts will focus on off-field areas.

It comes just a week after Arsenal announced Arteta had signed a lucrative four-year contract worth around £20million per year.

He said: ‘This question is not for me. It was explained to me about the exercise and the analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve to improve.

‘Some decision has to be taken to put people in the right roles, and keep investing to achieve what we want to achieve on the success that we want to create. So that has been explained. Obviously I am not the right person to answer to that question, that's for sure. And hopefully everybody will respect that.’

When pressed further on the matter, the club's press officer interjected to say the question was one for CEO Richard Garlick and not Arteta. 

Meanwhile, Arteta said Arsenal’s official 2026-27 squad photo will be retaken after the omission of William Saliba.

The club confirmed afterwards that the Frenchman was away at a doctor’s appointment on the day of the photoshoot.

Arteta said: ‘So what happened was that we had tried to do that picture three times already. We had to cancel it last minute for different reasons and we have some commercial obligations. So we decided to do that picture at least. Yeah (we will retake it with Saliba in).’

On if Saliba was happy being missed out, he added: ‘It wasn't in his hands. But normally he's happy about everything.

‘And he knows how loved he is and they were taking some banter (about it). He's completely fine.’