Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham given eye-watering Champions League incentive worth billions

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been given even more of an incentive to secure Champions League qualification this season. The Gunners and the Lilywhites currently look well positioned to secure a place in the top-four, meanwhile, the Blues are struggling to break into the top half of the table – let alone the top four.

Last season, as recently revealed by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, the three London clubs racked in millions for their participation in UEFA competitions. Chelsea pocketed £95.9m and Spurs collected £65.7m for featuring in the Champions League, meanwhile, Arsenal earned £25m for their short-lived bid to win the Europa League.

As of next season, it's been revealed that clubs could be rewarded with even more money. According to FOX Sports, UEFA have pledged to pay at least €2.46 billion euros (£2.1bn) in prize money to clubs playing in the Champions League next season when it expands to 36 teams.

The new prize fund will be shared among the four extra clubs, with each team guaranteed to play eight games instead of six under the new format. The total prize pool has been around €2bn (£1.7bn) in each season since 2021, with Manchester City raking in over £130million for winning the tournament last season.

All in all, FOX Sports state that UEFA will allocate at least €4.4bn (£3.76m) in projected revenue for all its men's club competitions next season – the Champions League, Europa League and the Europa Conference League. This prospective cash injection will come as a huge boost to those who are making huge sacrifices in order to adhere to Financial Fair Play regulations.

In the meantime, Arsenal will be determined to make their mark in the competition this season. While Manchester City may