Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick has added his voice to growing calls across the Premier League for clarity in the long-running case against Manchester City, which involves more than 100 alleged breaches of the league's financial regulations.
Speaking on the eve of the new Premier League season, Garlick acknowledged the frustration shared by clubs and the league alike as they await a verdict from an independent commission. The disciplinary hearing concluded more than 18 months ago, and it has now been three and a half years since City were first charged. Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the process.
Asked whether the prolonged timeline was a source of frustration for Arsenal, Garlick admitted the situation had dragged on. "It has gone on for a while," he told BBC Sport. "Everybody – the league and the teams – would want the clarity around what's going to happen next. But it's not something that I can control. It's not something that I can speculate on. And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly."
His comments echo those of Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, who recently conceded that the process was taking longer than anticipated. Masters described the case as "hugely complex" and stressed that the league had no choice but to let the independent process run its course. "Our rules are very clear – we have to follow the process, and there's only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion," he said.
Behind the scenes, officials from several other Premier League clubs have reportedly voiced similar frustrations, while recognising the independent nature of the proceedings. One unnamed official suggested the league needed to explore a more efficient system for resolving such disputes in future, while another highlighted the financial toll of the case, noting that the Premier League spent £45 million on legal costs during the 2023-24 season alone in disputes tied to its financial rules.
Beyond the City case, Garlick also addressed Arsenal's approach to squad management under the Premier League's new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) regulations, which come into effect this season. Under the new framework, clubs can spend up to 85% of their revenue on wages, fees and contracts, though that threshold drops to 70% for clubs involved in European competitions.
Garlick confirmed that player trading remains a key part of Arsenal's financial strategy, particularly when it comes to academy graduates whose sales can be booked as pure profit. "Every club now has adopted a player-trading model," he said. "The way in which football is and the fees involved, it makes sense for you to trade players and to generate revenues through those sales. I won't say it's a necessity, but it's only a matter of good housekeeping that you do look at those opportunities when they arise, and as long as they're right for the club, then that's something that we will explore."
When questioned about the futures of academy products Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both of whom have attracted interest from other clubs, Garlick was keen to stress the club's satisfaction with their progress. "Myles had a fantastic end to last season and has started this one really well. We're very, very happy with him," he said. "Ethan has had a great pre-season as well and it's just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those in terms of their career moving forward. We are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players but if the right opportunity came up – right for them and the club – we'd obviously consider that."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.