Arsenal to bank share of £27m UEFA prize pot as Mikel Arteta gets transfer boost
Mikel Arteta will soon have a little extra cash in his back pocket.(Image: Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
This week, UEFA plans to reimburse clubs for allowing its players to take part in the 2024/25 edition of the UEFA Nations League as part of the Club Benefits Programme, and Arsenal are set to bank a share of the €31.5m (£27m) compensation package.
As part of the initiative, which rewards teams for their players' participation in the governing body's international competitions, the cash pool will be distributed among 611 clubs across all member associations. Across Nations League and European Qualifier fixtures, the Club Benefits Programme set a rate of €3,845 (£3,296) per eligible appearance on the match sheet.
At Euro 2028, UEFA will calculate compensation per player/per day. Nevertheless, RB Leipzig is set to bank more than any other club, receiving approximately €353,000 (£302,600) for releasing 16 of its players.
The payments form part of the €104m (£89.2m) cash pool set aside for the 2024/25 and 2026/27 editions of the Nations League and the qualifying campaign for the upcoming European championship.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
A further €140m (£120m) has been reserved for the tournament itself, which will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland in a couple of years, bringing the total distribution to €244m (£209m).
In an official statement on the UEFA website, the governing body president Aleksander Čeferin said: "The Club Support Programme acknowledges the essential contribution that clubs add to the success of national team football.
"Through this Programme, we distribute a share of UEFA EURO and UEFA Nations League revenue to clubs across Europe, professional and amateur alike, in recognition of their role in developing players and releasing them for national team duty.
"When football thrives, everybody benefits."
Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, chairman of European Football Clubs, said: "The Club Benefits Programme is a very important part of the UEFA-EFC strategic partnership. Its scale and impact are clear, with more than 600 clubs of all sizes benefiting from this first payment.
"It recognises the essential contribution clubs make to the international game by developing players and making them available for their national teams. We are very pleased to continue strengthening this vital link between club and national team football."
UEFA have also confirmed that further payments will be made in stages as the relevant competitions are completed. Although Arsenal are only expected to bank in the region of six figures, every little helps ahead of the January transfer window.
The Gunners were expected to break the bank on a marquee forward in the summer. Andrea Berta only managed to prise Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, who was viewed as a replacement for Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
With a little extra cash in the piggy bank, Mikel Arteta could give his frontline a long-overdue makeover...
Choose Football London as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.