HR meets high press as Deel signs up Arsenal in global payroll play

MUMBAI: Football clubs run on more than goals and glory, they run on people. And Arsenal has just picked a new engine for that side of the game. Global payroll and HR platform Deel has struck a multi year partnership with Arsenal, becoming the club’s official HR platform partner in what marks the company’s first major foray into world sport. The deal brings Deel out of the back office and straight into the Premier League spotlight.

Under the agreement, Deel branding will feature across Emirates Stadium and Arsenal’s digital platforms during all home fixtures, spanning the Premier League, Women’s Super League, FA Cup and League Cup. The partnership also moves beyond visibility, with Arsenal adopting Deel’s platform to streamline HR operations and workforce management across the club.

For Deel, the tie up signals a clear statement of global intent. The company currently supports more than 37,000 businesses and 1.5 million workers worldwide, and in October 2025 raised a Series E round valuing it at $17.3 billion. Linking up with one of football’s most recognisable brands gives Deel a new stage and a very large audience.

Deel co-founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz said Arsenal’s scale and reach made the partnership a natural fit. He noted that welcoming the club as a customer places Deel “at the heart of global football”, connecting its platform with professionals and fans across continents.

From Arsenal’s perspective, the partnership reflects the increasing complexity of running a modern football club that spans men’s, women’s and commercial operations worldwide. Arsenal chief commercial officer Juliet Slot said Deel’s global platform mirrors the club’s ambition and operational scale, adding that the collaboration would help power Arsenal’s continued growth.

As football clubs professionalise far beyond the pitch, partnerships like this underline a broader shift, elite sport is now as much about systems and structure as it is about silverware. And for Deel, the whistle has officially blown on its biggest brand stage yet.