Arsenal agreed to pay Nicolas Jover a bonus based on how many set-piece goals the team scores, which has worked wonders.
When Manchester City watched Jover walk away in 2021, Pep Guardiola would not have predicted that his former colleague could steer Arsenal towards the Premier League title.
Arsenal are close to breaking an all-time set-piece record in the Premier League, having already scored 16 goals from corners this season, matching the record against Chelsea.
Jover would have celebrated jubilantly on the sidelines as Arsenal scored two corners against the Blues, not only as it won them the game, but because it boosted his bank balance.
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Set-piece Kings 👑
Arsenal pay Nicolas Jover a bonus for set-piece goals
According to The Athletic, when approving Jover’s contract in 2025, Arsenal showed their appreciation to the set-piece coach by including a remarkable clause.
Jover’s contract actually contains a set-piece goal bonus, seeing the set-piece coach profit when the Gunners score from set-play.
To the Frenchman’s delight, that happens very often, proving that Arsenal’s work in negotiations was incredibly smart.
Given that Arsenal have scored a total of 19 set-piece goals in the Premier League alone this season, Jover is earning his money, and the Gunners won’t be aggrieved to pay out.
Jover once joked that Arsenal players would be paid more for set-piece goals
The topic of financial reward for set-piece goals is new to many after The Athletic’s revelation, but not to Jover.
Predict how many goals Arsenal will score from corners in 2026 👀
In a 2024 interview with L’Equipe [30/06/2024], Jover ironically joked that he convinced the Arsenal squad to change their view on set-pieces by offering a pay rise.
“Today, I no longer need to convince the players, but, at the beginning, I was telling them: ‘We can increase your salary by 20%, what do you think?'”
What was a joke for the players became additional motivation for Jover, whose salary is impacted by Arsenal’s set-piece effectiveness.
It might seem outrageous, but it’s working at a level that accounts for almost 33% of Arsenal’s goals in a potentially Premier League-winning campaign.
I’m sure every Arsenal fan will agree that any penny collected by Jover is earned.
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