Daniel Levy proves critics wrong as Tottenham overtake Arsenal amid £250m+ reveal
Daniel Levy is often criticised by Tottenham supporters for a lack of investment on the pitch, but based on the club’s recent accounts, the 62-year-old has cause to argue against these accusations.
Levy is a man who so often divides opinion in North London.
Therefore when Tottenham published their financial accounts for the year ending June 30 2023 on Wednesday (3 April), supporters would have been rushing to catch a glimpse of the numbers to either defend or blast their chairman.
And there were arguments which could be made either way based on the figures that emerged.
While supporters would have been fuming that Levy had handed himself a £3million bonus and increased his pay from £3.3million to £3.6million during a season when Tottenham struggled on the pitch, some of the other numbers brandished were more favourable.
For example, the record-breaking revenue generated by the club was certainly eye-catching, with the total figure increasing by 24 per cent to £549.6million.
Tottenham did post an overall loss for the year of £86.8m, with Levy suggesting that this reflected a “significant and continued investment in the playing squad.”
And based on the club’s wage bill, it is incredibly difficult to argue with this assessment.
Tottenham splash more cash on wages than Arsenal during the 2022/23 season
For the first time since the 1995/96 season, Tottenham’s wage bill was higher than that of their arch-enemies Arsenal.
As per Martyn Ziegler via X (3 April), Spurs spent a total of £251million on wages last year, the fifth-highest total of any Premier League club.
In comparison, their North London rivals Arsenal spent £234.7million, although this did represent a higher proportion of their turnover (51 per cent) compared to Tottenham (46 per cent).
Either way, the simple fact of the matter is that Tottenham spent more on paying their players than Arsenal, which makes it incredibly difficult to put the Gunners’ superior league position down to a result of more significant investment.
Tottenham are spending on their squad, the numbers prove that, and Levy now has clear hard proof to hit back at critics among the Spurs faithful who suggest otherwise.
When it comes to Spurs’ underwhelming on-field success as of late, it appears that for now the finger must be pointed elsewhere, at least until the accounts for the year ending June 30 2024 emerge this time next year.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs are “likely” to explore a deal to sign one Premier League defender this summer.
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