Seven clubs from the Premier League –
Manchester City
,
Arsenal
,
Liverpool
,
Aston Villa
,
Manchester United
,
Tottenham
and
Chelsea
— Have taken part in all of UEFA’s major European competitions during the 2024-25 season. However, what financial value has this brought to these teams?
Participation in the Champions League, particularly the latter stages, is an incredibly lucrative business. But financially speaking, how does Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals compare to Chelsea making the Conference League final? We’ve done some digging to find out.
Below is a complete overview of the estimated total prize money for each Premier League team that has participated in UEFA competitions this season.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s dominant Manchester City side has grown used to advancing far in European competitions in recent seasons, culminating in them clinching the title during their record-breaking, treble-winning 2022-23 season.
However, it’s fair to conclude that this hasn’t been Manchester City’s year, and their earnings from this season’s UEFA Champions League are considerably less than they have seen in recent years.
Still, just for participating in the newly-expanded League Phase, they banked €18.62m (£15.6million).
They were awarded an additional €2.1 million (£1.7 million) for each of their three wins during the League Phases, along with €700,000 (£587k) for each draw they secured in two matches. This totals to €6.4 million (£5.4 million), plus another €6.4 million (£5.4 million) due to their position in the league standings (they ranked 22nd, earning €275,000 (£230k) for each placement below first).
Manchester City subsequently obtained €1 million (£842,669) as a result of reaching the playoff stage for the knockout rounds.
Under UEFA’s updated distribution model, the ‘value pillar’ plays a significant role. This component takes into account payments derived from both a club’s ten-year coefficient ranking and the broadcasting revenues shared among all participating nations. In this aspect, City unsurprisingly perform quite well for themselves.
Altogether, City’s revenue from the Champions League for this season amounts to approximately
£65.48million
.
Arsenal
As of this writing, Arsenal – naturally – remains in the Champions League, hence their ultimate prize money has yet to be determined.
No matter what unfolds in the second match against PSG, the financial executives at Arsenal’s boardroom can rest easy, assured that the club has benefited substantially from reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2009.
After easily navigating through the League phase, where their standing and outcomes secured them significant rewards, they quickly dispatched PSV and Real Madrid in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals.
It’s estimated that the Gunners have taken home
£96.85million
Already, they stand out distinctly from all other Premier League clubs participating in European competitions this season.
Only Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter have accumulated more winnings throughout the tournament up until now, with only a slight edge over them.
If Mikel Arteta’s team manages to improve their performance in Paris, the club will receive an additional £15.6 million for advancing to the final and could add another £5.5 million to that amount if they secure victory in the final.
Liverpool
The reigning Premier League titleholders appeared poised for a strong showing in the Champions League, following an impressive streak of seven successive victories during the league phase.
However, defeating teams like AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid mattered little following the tough draw against the significantly improved PSG in the initial knock-out round.
Arne Slot’s team was eliminated via penalties by the long-standing Ligue 1 title holders, leaving them with an approximate
£80.91million
in prize funds.
That’ll cover
a new right-back
, at least.
Aston Villa
Liverpool couldn’t find a way past the Parisiens. Nor could Aston Villa. Let’s see with Arsenal.
Thanks to Unai Emery’s expertise from the sidelines, Aston Villa appeared unfazed as they participated in the Champions League for the first time under this current format.
They secured their position comfortably within the top eight of the League Phase and along the way reached the quarterfinals by repeating one of the club’s most celebrated outcomes – a 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich.
Speculation suggests that the team could face financial difficulties if they do not manage to return next year. However, there are potential revenues estimated at approximately
£69.27million
should aid in balancing the accounts.
Far surpassing anything they might have imagined back when they were competing in the Championship just a short time past.
Tottenham
Moving on to the Europa League, where the prize money sees a significant drop compared to the earnings from UEFA’s top-tier competition.
Nevertheless, it’s still a significant amount of money, and as a pathway back into the Champions League, it could end up being far more valuable than what was earned this season.
UEFA’s updated revenue distribution model remains divided into three components: 1) an even split; 2) performance-based set sums; and 3) a ‘value component’ determined by team coefficients along with the collective broadcasting income from all competing nations.
By advancing to the semi-finals, Tottenham have earned approximately
£15.52million
In terms of prize money totals up to this point.
They’ll receive
£5.89 million if they manage to finish the task in the Arctic Circle and advance to the finals, with an additional £5 million if they win the championship.
Manchester United
The situation described for Tottenham Hotspur holds true for Manchester United as well, who remain the sole undefeated team across UEFA’s three tournaments but have experienced their poorest performance in the Premier League era by a significant margin.
It is thought that The Red Devils have managed to secure
£15.58million
slightly higher than Tottenham Hotspur.
Assuming they do not fold entirely against Athletic Bilbao, you can expect an additional £5 million upon their return to San Mamés for the finale.
The playoff final of the Championship is dubbed ‘football’s wealthiest match,’ however, a UEFA Europa League final featuring Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur could rival that distinction.
Is significantly greater than the additional £5 million they would receive for clinching the title.
QUIZ:
Could you list all the players who have scored for Manchester United in the Europa League?
Chelsea
UEFA’s distribution mechanism flows through the Conference League, a tournament that likely didn’t consider having teams with Chelsea’s financial clout in mind.
The Blues have brought home
£10.05million
In terms of prize money so far, this amount is insignificant compared to what they have expended on players like Mykhailo Mudryk.
Chelsea are virtually assured of earning another £3.36 million by reaching the finals, carrying their three-goal advantage against Djurgården into the match at Stamford Bridge. Additionally, they stand to receive an extra £2.52 million should they defeat either Real Betis or Fiorentina in the finale.
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Each European club’s standing based on their projected 2024-25 salary expenses: PSG at number six, Liverpool at nine…
TRY A QUIZ:
Could you list the 42 teams that have reached the European Cup final?
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