Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad are on the cusp of something truly special this season, with the north London club now firmly positioned as favourites to conquer the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history. The Gunners’ impressive run has not only boosted their chances of silverware but has already delivered a significant financial windfall, providing a major boost ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a commanding 3-1 aggregate victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16. After grinding out a resilient 1-1 draw in the first leg at the BayArena, Arteta’s side produced a dominant display at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, winning 2-0 courtesy of stunning strikes from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice. Eze opened the scoring with a breathtaking first-time effort from 20 yards, while Rice curled home a classy second to wrap up the tie and set up a quarter-final clash against Sporting CP next month.
Even if their European adventure were to end against Sporting, Arsenal have already amassed an impressive haul from the competition. Every club in the revamped Champions League format receives £16.2 million simply for participating in the league phase. Arteta’s men then collected an additional £14.6 million by winning all eight of their league-phase matches, at £1.82 million per victory. Topping the table earned them a further £8.5 million, while their top-eight finish and direct progression to the last-16 brought in another £9.6 million.
That meant Arsenal had banked a staggering £48.9 million before the knockout rounds even began. Their recent advancement to the quarter-finals has added £10.9 million more, pushing their total earnings from the competition to nearly £60 million so far. This substantial prize money represents a major financial injection for the club, far exceeding many expectations at the start of the campaign.
Should Arsenal overcome Sporting CP across the two legs, further rewards await. Progression to the semi-finals would deliver an additional £13 million, while reaching the final would bring in £16.1 million. The eventual winners pocket a final £5.7 million bonus, meaning a triumphant run all the way to glory could see Arsenal secure a total of around £94.6 million from the Champions League alone.
Bookmakers are increasingly convinced that the Gunners are the team to beat. Sky Bet, Paddy Power, and Betfair all list Arsenal as favourites at 9/4 odds to lift the trophy — a remarkable shift given they have never won the competition before. This favourable assessment stems partly from a relatively kinder draw, with the toughest potential obstacle before the final appearing to be Barcelona.
Pundits have echoed the optimism. Jamie Carragher, speaking on The Rest is Football, praised Arsenal’s ability to grind out results in Europe: “I wouldn’t say I enjoy watching Arsenal play but you have to respect the results they’re getting. They’ve found a way to stay in games and that’s what matters in the Champions League. If they keep doing that, they could be the English team that goes the furthest in the competition. I wouldn’t rule out a semi-final – or even more.”
Fellow pundit Micah Richards shares the view, highlighting how the stretched nature of Champions League ties suits Arsenal’s style more than the relentless Premier League battles against low blocks. “They’re top of the Premier League, and I think Arsenal are the favourites for the Champions League because I think it will suit them more than the domestic games,” he said.
With Arsenal leading the Premier League domestically and thriving in Europe, a deep run — or better still, victory — in the Champions League would provide sporting director Andrea Berta with a hefty transfer kitty for the summer. That financial firepower could enable Arteta to bolster an already exceptional squad, positioning the club to defend any titles won this season and mount even stronger challenges next term.
For now, all eyes are on the quarter-finals against Sporting CP. Arsenal have history on their side, having thrashed the Portuguese side 5-1 in last season’s league phase, but Arteta will demand focus as the Gunners chase history — and that potential £94.6 million prize.