Arsenal are planning significant player sales in this summer's transfer window despite banking more than £120m in UEFA prize money from their run to the Champions League final.
The Gunners will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece fixture in Budapest on May 30 after Tuesday's 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid completed a 2-1 aggregate victory.
The semi-final triumph secured £16m in prize money, taking their total this season to £122m. The club would earn a further £10m by winning the final and lifting the trophy for the first time.
The windfall, which follows prize money earnings of £101m for last season's run to the semis, provides another financial boost which strengthens Arsenal's hand in the upcoming transfer window.
But Arsenal accept they cannot repeat last summer's transfer activity, when they spent £267m on a total of eight new signings while only generating £10m in sales, leaving them with the highest net spend of all Premier League clubs at £257m.
Arsenal intend to further strengthen their squad this summer but will aim to come out of the transfer window with a more even balance sheet than last year, by trading players out as well as in, in the interests of the club's long-term financial sustainability.
They must also comply with the Premier League's new Squad Cost Ratio rule, which comes into effect next season and states clubs can spend a maximum of 85 per cent of their revenue on squad costs.
Arsenal recorded a pre-tax loss of only £1.4m when they revealed their 2024/25 financial results in February but those figures did not factor last summer's transfer business.
Arsenal are not in a position where they have to sell before they can buy, but they approach this summer knowing sales will be necessary over the course of the window, with sustainability a priority.
The club have formulated their transfer plans well in advance and have prepared for multiple scenarios while also recognising the need to establish the market for players they would consider selling.
Ben White, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are among the senior players to have been linked with moves, while there has also been speculation around academy graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, whose sales would represent pure profit.
The club may now face a dilemma on Lewis-Skelly, who has shone as a midfielder in the last two games against Fulham and Atletico Madrid, suggesting he may yet have a future under Mikel Arteta while at the same time adding value for any possible sale.
One player seemingly certain to depart is Jakub Kiwior after loan club Porto announced they have activated their clause to sign him for £19m in a move which is expected to see Piero Hincapie's permanent £45m switch from Bayer Levekusen formalised.
In terms of incomings, Your Site News has reported that Arsenal intend to strengthen in attack, in central midfield and at full-back.
The Gunners are considering Paris Saint-Germain's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Newcastle's Anthony Gordon for the left wing position. They are also keen on Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, who shone against Arsenal in last week's first leg in Madrid.
The Argentina international is known to Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta, who oversaw his £82m arrival at Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 in his previous role with the Spanish club.
Atletico Madrid do not want to sell Alvarez, however, and would value him at around £130m even if he asked to leave. Alvarez is also of interest to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
The expenditure required for Arsenal to recruit elite-level talent this summer highlights the need for significant sales as the club aim to continue their progress under Arteta while maintaining a healthy financial footing for the long-term.
Arsenal are on course to become the richest club in England thanks to their performances on the pitch this season, reports Your Site News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol.
Their run to the Champions League final and position at the top of the Premier League is likely to mean they will overtake Liverpool and Manchester City as the English club with the largest revenue when clubs publish their next set of accounts.
The Gunners generated a record £691m revenue for the 2024/25 season when they finished second in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, behind Liverpool on £703m and City on £694m.
Arsenal's commercial revenue was up 41 per cent to £263m, while matchday revenue was up 17 per cent to £154m and broadcast revenue up four per cent to £213m.
All three are projected to rise to record levels again this season.
Arsenal will also receive more in Premier League prize money if they win the title. They made £171.5m for finishing second last season, while champions Liverpool earned £174.9m.
Winning the Champions League final would also guarantee qualification for the next FIFA Club World Cup, which is set to be held in the summer of 2029.
Chelsea made £90m from winning the tournament last summer and Arsenal would be in line for a similar boost to their finances.
