Ex-PL club chief slams Arsenal over failure to play insignificant sum of money before UCL final

Arsenal have no excuses for not paying for their staff to travel to the Champions League final, according to Keith Wyness.

The former Everton chief executive, speaking to Football Insider, is disappointed by Arsenal’s stance to make their staff pay over £850 for travel to Budapest.

The Gunners will face PSG in their first Champions League final since 2006, looking to win Europe’s most prestigious prize for the very first time in their history.

Victory over PSG would complete a historic double for Mikel Arteta’s side, after the north London club secured their first Premier League title for over 20 years this season.

Arsenal are on course to make record revenue from their success in the Premier League and in Europe, beating the strong financial results they posted in their 2024-25 accounts.

Inside the transfer budget, player wages, new kits, off-pitch deals and boardroom developments at Emirates Stadium.

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – states that is not a “significant sum” Arsenal would have had to have paid to cover staff travel costs.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Arsenal’s staff deserve better for the “sacrifices” they make behind the scenes.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Arsenal should have reconsidered that.

“They should have taken the staff. They should have paid for that. That’s something they could have absorbed, and I really don’t agree with it at all.

“I know that if I’d been in place there, I would have definitely taken the staff and PSG have done it, and Arsenal can certainly afford to do it.

“We’re talking in the thousands, it’s not a significant sum in the scheme of things, and that’s what all these people work day in, day out for.

“Until you’re in a position like I’ve been lucky enough to be in as a chief executive, you don’t actually see the total amount of work they put in, and you understand what they give and their sacrifice for the club.”

Despite their strong finances, and expectancy to be active this summer, Arsenal could sell a key player in order to balance the books.

Right-back Ben White could be one player that Arsenal look sell this summer, with Everton interested in agreeing a deal for the 28-year-old.

However, former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that White could reject Everton’s advances if he believes he will still get regular playing time at Emirates Stadium.

White has faced competition from Jurrien Timber for his place in the team this season, with the Dutchman viewed as ahead of him in the pecking order.

Inside the transfer budget, player wages, new kits, off-pitch deals and boardroom developments at Emirates Stadium.

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