Arsenal are starting to see the rewards of their hard work to get back into the Champions League when it comes to their finances, something they must continue to stay at the top.
The Gunners had spent many years outside of Europe’s top competition, having failed to consistently manage a top-four finish.
Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal made their return last season as they made it all the way to the Champions League final eight.
Defeat to Bayern Munich knocked them out, but for a resurgent North London outfit, it represented a return to the top table once more.
Arsenal have been keen to ensure it won’t be a flash in the pan return to the competition either, qualifying for this season’s campaign, which has seen plenty of changes made to the format.
While a huge clash between Arsenal and Real Madrid awaits in the final eight, there is also an eye on qualifying for the Champions League yet again next season.
The reason is not only due to the prestige of competing on the biggest stage, but also firmly relates to the financial “quantum leap” they have taken over the past two years.
How much Arsenal made from 2023/24 Champions League in major financial boost
The Champions League can hand teams a major financial advantage over their league rivals if they continually qualify for the competition.
After their run in the competition last year, Arsenal made an extra £80million from it alone, which is without factoring in some of the extra boosts to sponsorship and other forms of revenue.
Finance expert Adam Williams described it as a “quantum leap” in terms of finances for Arsenal when speaking to Arsenal Insider about the prize money earned last year.
He said: “Arsenal were among the teams that lobbied for the new Champions League format – and it’s not hard to see why.
“Before last season, it had been six seasons since the club was in the club the Champions League, which had a sustained impact on their revenue and saw them fall well behind their peers in the Big Six, both in terms of prize money and commercial income.
“Their accounts for 2023-24 represent a massive upswing for getting back into the Champions League. And the £80m or so – depending on exchange rates – that they banked for reaching the quarter-finals was a record for the club.
“The prize money accounted for about 15 per cent of their revenue across the season, although the commercial benefits, such as bonuses with sponsors plus the extra matchday income, meant the true amount coming directly from the Champions League was much higher, albeit harder to quantify.”
For that reason, it’s not hard to see exactly why many celebrate the top four as it’s own trophy in some way, as consistently finishing in those places grants a chance to accumulate more revenue to stay ahead of rivals in the league.
Arsenal set for even bigger Champions League finance boost for 2024/25
Despite earning well over a whopping £80million in the competition last season, Arsenal are in line for even more this time around.
The new Champions League format has added two extra games in the league phase, one home and one away, which will boost a few revenue streams.
The increase in broadcast revenue is one of the key ones, though, with the side already making their fair share before they reach the latter stages.
Adam Williams continued on the 2024/25 campaign: “This season, however, they have reached roughly the same prize money as last season after the league phase.
“Now that they’re in the quarter-finals, they have surpassed it by quite a margin. The new format was introduced to placate the European Super League clubs, with Arsenal among that contingent.
“It’s a quantum leap forward in terms of revenue, and had Arsenal’s revival on the pitch in recent seasons been delayed by a few years, they could have quite easily fallen much further behind their rivals financially.”
It’s a huge boost for Arsenal, one they will hope can translate into the right decisions being made on the pitch.
Champions League finances hand Arsenal a huge transfer boost
If there’s one thing that the boost in finances can translate to, it’s a boost in the transfer market for Arsenal.
The uptick in revenue can help the club push the boat out for signings, something that will please both Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta.
There is also the contract factor, with a guaranteed huge income stream allowing Arsenal to tie down their most important players.
It comes at a key moment as well, with Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes entering their final two years under contract.
In all, consistent Champions League qualification will be the most important element to Arsenal sustaining their success.
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