Jump directly to the content
Prexit

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss warns Brexit will slash Premier League stars’ wages and could ruin the English top flight

Frenchman fears Prem will fall behind the likes of Bundesiga and La Liga once the UK leaves the European Union

Arsene Wenger fears Brexit could ruin the Premier League

Sponsored by

ARSENE WENGER has warned Premier League stars to expect a paycut now Britain has left the European Union.

And the Arsenal manager, 66, reckons the UK's vote for a Brexit could see the English top flight suffer all-round from TV deals to club revenues.

 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears Brexit could ruin the Premier League
7
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears Brexit could ruin the Premier LeagueCredit: PA:Press Association
 Arsene Wenger says players must prepare to have their wages slashed
7
Arsene Wenger says players must prepare to have their wages slashedCredit: PA:Press Association

Speaking to , he said: "The players are going to see their salaries drop a little bit and the competition with Germany, for example, is going to be stronger.

"But that's part of the risks of the profession and that worries me less.

"England has, all the same, a lot of resources in terms of finances. There's leeway with the [TV] money that's going to be brought in this year as well.

"But in my opinion it's particularly in the long term that there are questions. The way in which England leaves Europe will dictate the future of the Premier League.

"If the league becomes less attractive, TV companies will spend less money, the revenues of clubs are going to decrease and the Premier League is going to suffer the consequences. That's where the problem is."

Wenger has spent £33million on Granit Xhaka and Takuma Asano this summer as he looks to turn the Gunners into genuine title contenders.

 Former London mayor Boris Johnson campaigned to see the UK force a Brexit
7
Former London mayor Boris Johnson campaigned to see the UK force a BrexitCredit: Getty Images
 Long-standing boss Arsene Wenger thinks the top players in the world may not be attracted to the Premier League once Britain is officially out of the European Union
7
Long-standing boss Arsene Wenger thinks the top players in the world may not be attracted to the Premier League once Britain is officially out of the European UnionCredit: AP:Associated Press
 Lionel Messi has previously been linked with a blockbuster move to the Prem
7
Lionel Messi has previously been linked with a blockbuster move to the PremCredit: Getty Images

But the Frenchman worries Britain's decision to vote Out will negatively affect the lure of the Prem.

He added: "We thought that one day the best players from Real and Barca would say 'I also want to go to England because everyone is over there'.

 Granit Xhaka signed for Arsenal before Euro 2016 kicked off in a £30m move
7
Granit Xhaka signed for Arsenal before Euro 2016 kicked off in a £30m moveCredit: Getty Images
 Takuma Asano is the latest Arsenal signing after completing £3m Emirates move
7
Takuma Asano is the latest Arsenal signing after completing £3m Emirates moveCredit: Getty Images

"All of that is now uncertain and Brexit is a spanner in the works. It will have consequences, not in the very short term, but in the long term, yes.

"The big English clubs have the means to keep hold of their biggest assets. The most important thing lies elsewhere. Currently, the league is seen as the most attractive one and that image could disappear."

Topics