Finance

Arsenal Braced for Shock Sale to Combat Looming Financial Issues—Report

Published

6 days ago

March 6, 2026

Arsenal Braced for Shock Sale to Combat Looming Financial Issues—Report

Arsenal will be forced into selling at least one first-team player at the end of the season as last summer’s $359 million spend catches up with them, a report has revealed.

Arsenal parted ways with vast sums for an array of transfer targets before the campaign commenced, with Eberechi Eze ($90.2 million) and Viktor Gyökeres ($85.1 million) among the expensive additions.

An enormous outlay has facilitated an incredible campaign to date for Mikel Arteta’s side, who are currently perched first in the Premier League and can still secure an unprecedented quadruple of trophies.

However, according to The Telegraph, Arsenal will need to raise funds through player sales this summer to ensure they comply with the Premier League and UEFA’s financial regulations.

Internal discussions are already taking place over which first-teamer(s) could yield the greatest transfer fee and profit to help Arsenal balance the books. A host of names are potentially on the chopping block.

Few Safe From Arsenal Departure

Even the sale of Arsenal’s captain has not been ruled out. | Getty Images/Glyn Kirk/AFP

Certain individuals will undoubtedly be off limits when sales are sanctioned at the end of the season—Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba to name a few—but Arsenal might have to be ruthless with their outgoings.

According to the report, even skipper Martin Ødegaard is not immune to being pushed out the exit door, the Norwegian’s low value on Arsenal’s balance sheet paving the way for a mammoth profit if he’s sold. However, he’s still considered a hugely important figure at the club.

Gabriel Martinelli is another who is under consideration given his colossal transfer value, while Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Ben White are other potential candidates for the boot as their contracts tick down.

Arsenal’s current preference is likely to be offloading one of their two precocious academy graduates: Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Neither are eager to leave the Emirates Stadium but their sales would count as pure profit given they have come through the club’s youth setup. Past sales of Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah show Arsenal are not averse to selling homegrown talents.

The Gunners are expected to be protagonists in the transfer market again this summer as Arteta looks to build a dynasty, while the arrival of Piero Hincapié on a permanent deal worth $60 million adds to their desire to cash in on some of their stars.

Who Should Arsenal Offload This Summer?

Leandro Trossard could be looking for a new club this summer. | Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Contracts will come under the microscope when Arsenal consider sales. There are currently four players whose deals expire in the summer of 2027—Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus and Christian Nørgaard.

Martinelli and Nørgaard both have clauses allowing Arsenal to trigger a one-year extension and while the latter holds little transfer value, Martinelli would certainly command a hefty fee if he were to depart. The Brazilian has struggled to take the step to superstar status but is still just 24 years old.

Arsenal could therefore turn to Trossard or Jesus. The former will be 32 years old and the latter 30 by the time their deals run out, meaning extensions are unlikely. Cashing in this summer might be the wise move, although neither are likely to be a truly blockbuster sale.

Havertz’s injury issues and the fact his deal expires in 2028 make him a possibility, while White is certainly a luxury option in a well-stocked Arsenal backline.

Fortunately following years of cultivation, Arsenal will be able to cover for sales this summer given their immense squad depth.

READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Finance

Downtown Cincinnati hotel gets final public approval, but private financing still in flux

Published

2 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

Downtown Cincinnati hotel gets final public approval, but private financing still in flux

CINCINNATI (Cincinnati Business Courier) – The plan to build a new $540 million, 700-room Marriott convention center hotel downtown got its final public approval Wednesday, with the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority agreeing to sell $130 million in tax-exempt bonds to finance the project.

The closing on the financing, however, is not expected for another 60 to 90 days. The private financing is still being finalized, although good progress is being made, said Greg Hahn, vice president of public finance for the Port.

“It’s a tough project to finance,” Hahn said, adding that the city, county, state, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. and Atlanta-based private developer Portman Holdings have been working “to bring this to life.”

Read the full story from the Cincinnati Business Courier.

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Finance

How to make your offer stand out in a competitive housing market

Published

14 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

How to make your offer stand out in a competitive housing market

With the weather finally thawed and kids out of school, spring and summer are the busiest seasons for homebuying. This can mean more options to choose from on the market — but it can also mean more competition.

Going through the work of putting together an offer on a house you are excited about, only to get beat out by other buyers, can feel like a major letdown. So, how can you make your home offer stand out if you are wading into a hot housing market? From having your own affairs in order to being flexible and savvy in the offer you craft, here are some tricks you can implement to improve your odds of winning out.

Have everything in order before bidding

If you are trying to buy in a fast-moving, competitive market, it is vital that you have all your ducks in a row before you get to the point of submitting an offer on a home. This means working with an experienced, knowledgeable real estate agent you can trust, and already having mortgage preapproval in hand, so you have a ballpark idea of how much you will actually be able to borrow.

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The former will help you ensure you are putting your best (and most strategic) foot forward when you make an offer, and the latter will provide peace of mind for the seller, given that “in a competitive market, sellers will likely have multiple offers to choose from and will look for a buyer who is able to close on the sale,” said Zillow.

Understand the market, the property and the seller

When it comes to this, the real estate agent you work with can make all the difference. “Their deep market knowledge allows agents to identify accurate comparable listings and help buyers price offers more strategically,” said USA Today. They will also “know how quickly homes are selling in a given area and can communicate quickly and effectively with listing agents.”

An agent can often get insight into what is most important to a particular seller — whether that is a quick closing timeline, the security of a cash offer or an above-listing price — and help ensure your offer checks those boxes.

Consider ways to sweeten your offer

Depending on what feels reasonable and is doable for you, there are a number of steps you can take to make your offer more enticing, including:

Increase your earnest money deposit. This is a deposit made upfront to demonstrate your seriousness about and ability to purchase the home. Typically, it is “around 1% to 3% of the purchase price,” but “in a competitive market, you may choose to increase this to 5% or higher to stand out and prove your commitment,” said Investopedia.

Add in an escalation clause. With an escalation clause, your offer automatically increases, up to a specified maximum, if another buyer in the running outbids you. This can “help you stay in the running if another offer comes in for slightly more than yours,” said Rocket Mortgage, though it is not always necessary or even allowed in certain markets.

Offer concessions. Offering the seller concessions can “make your offer more attractive,” said Rocket Mortgage, though it is also vital here to ensure what you offer is workable for you. Common examples of concessions include offering to pay certain fees, such as the agents’ commission or the seller’s real estate attorney fees, or purchasing the property as-is.

Finance

By the Numbers: Financial report reveals scale of financial costs, growth

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

By the Numbers: Financial report reveals scale of financial costs, growth

Following a year marked by financial turbulence, Northwestern’s financial report for fiscal year 2025 revealed the University’s struggles and growth as they navigated a tumultuous landscape in higher education.

The latest report detailed fiscal year 2025, which began Sept. 1, 2024 and ended Aug. 31, 2025. It did not include the University’s stipulated $75 million payment to the federal government, which was part of the agreement struck in November 2025.

According to the University’s 2025 financial report, net assets sit at $16.2 billion, up from 2024’s $15.6 billion. However, the University spent almost $148 million more than it brought in during fiscal year 2025.

In the last five fiscal years, the University has increased steadily in operating costs for assets without donor restrictions.

Year-to-year increases in operating costs hovered around 10% in the past five fiscal years. Simultaneously, revenue growth has decreased year to year, from 12.8% between 2021 to 2022 to only 3.9% between 2024 to 2025.

Amanda Distel, NU’s chief financial officer, identified “rising benefits expenses, litigation, new labor contracts, and rapidly unfolding federal actions” as key challenges in fiscal year 2025 in the report.

Before the deal, NU invested between $30 to $40 million each month to sustain research impacted by the federal freeze, interim President Henry Bienen confirmed in an Oct. 24 interview with The Daily.

In an attempt to reduce costs, the University announced a switch in July to UnitedHealthcare from Blue Cross Blue Shield as the University’s employee health care administrator, effective Jan. 1. However, faculty and staff have reported increased out-of-pocket costs for certain services like mental health care.

Financial aid increased from $618.3 million in fiscal 2024 to $638.3 million in fiscal year 2025. Among undergraduate students in the 2024-25 school year, 15% are first-generation college students and 22% receive federal Pell Grants. According to the report, most families earning less than $70,000 per year attend at no cost, and most families earning less than $150,000 per year attend tuition-free.

Tuition is the second largest source of revenue behind grants and contracts. By the end of the fiscal year, the University held $778 million in outstanding conditional awards, an increase from fiscal 2024’s $713.5 million, according to the report.

Distel wrote that the number of gift commitments above $100,000 reached its highest in University history, calling it a “strong year of philanthropic support.”

Donor funds are categorized by whether or not restrictions were imposed on the time, use or nature of the donation. In fiscal 2025, University net assets without donor restrictions totaled $9.59 billion, or 59.1%, while net assets with donor restrictions totaled $6.65 billion, or 40.9%, of total net assets.

The University’s investment in construction efforts saw an immense uptick from $275.2 million in fiscal 2024 to $750.5 million in fiscal 2025.

This cost is spread across multiple projects, such as Ryan Field, which started construction in 2024 and is slated to open October 2026. The project operates with a $862 million budget, including a $480 million contribution from the Ryan family.

The Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center, Cohen Lawn and Jacobs Center renovations also continued during the fiscal year.

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