Despite the huge increases of recent years and summer culling of deadwood the wage bill is still likely to grow by £11m over the season to around £165m (an increase of 7.2%). This will come as a surprise to many but is explained by the following: the new deals for the 'British Core of Five' coming on stream in this financial year; the impact of Champions League qualification bonuses becoming payable in August once the play-off game was won; the return of Park and Bendtner to the squad from loans last season; the cost of adding a stellar signing like Ozil to the squad with Arsenal for the first time paying Galactico wages.
The club have explained that they see maintaining a wage bill at 65% of the club's total turnover as sustainable and are clear that their aim is to increase wage spending to get closer to the £180m/£190m recently recorded by Man Utd and Chelsea. This reflects the close correlation that exists in modern football between wages paid and football success.