Mikel Arteta has eyes on £32.5million target as Arsenal receive £1.8m Champions League bonus

Arsenal splashed the cash in the summer transfer window, aiming to bolster their squad for a multi-front battle this season, and have already started to see the benefits. The Gunners have kicked off the campaign on a high note, bagging nine points from 12 in the league with new striker Viktor Gyokeres up and running, and securing a victory in Bilbao in their opening Champions League group stage match.

New signings Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie were handed their competitive bows for Arsenal on Tuesday in Bilbao, making late cameos from the bench as Mikel Arteta's men clinched a 2-0 win over Athletic Club. Arteta utilised his entire squad for the clash, with substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard netting second-half goals to seal the victory.

The triumph pocketed the North London outfit a cool £1.8 million - a prize awarded to any team that secures three points in a group stage match. A full house of wins from the eight fixtures would thus equate to a combined prize money of £14.4 million, not to mention securing a high seeding for the round of 16.

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However, that top seeding doesn't always guarantee progression, with Liverpool particularly unlucky on that front last season. The Reds were pitted against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 after PSG's sluggish start necessitated a knockout play-off against Brest.

Luis Enrique's side emerged victorious in a penalty shootout at Anfield before going on to lift the trophy. They even beat Arsenal along the way, shooting down Arteta's men in the semis.

There's no disputing the impact of the prize money, with those additional millions bolstering teams' finances ahead of the January transfer window. Despite injury worries over key players, Arsenal refrained from spending any money in last season's winter windows, and it remains to be seen whether the situation will change in 2026.

The prize money remains unchanged from the 2024/25 season and will stay the same next season. According to UEFA documentation, this equates to €2.1m (just over £1.8m) per league phase victory and €700,000 (£607,000) for each draw.

Teams also receive a portion of a larger prize pool based on their ranking in the league phase. The team finishing last out of the 36 teams is entitled to €275,000 (just under £240,000), with €9.9m (£8.6m) going to the top-ranked team.

Maximum points would almost certainly guarantee first place and direct qualification to the round of 16. The per-win prize money and the share of the group stage pot, along with €11m (£9.5m) per club that reaches the round of 16, would result in a total of a staggering £32.5m on top of the €18.62m (£16.1m) guaranteed to all league phase qualifiers.

There's even more money up for grabs the further a team progresses, so Arsenal could be set for a larger payday if they can replicate last season's semi-final run. Quarter-finalists will receive an additional €12.5m, while it's €15m for the semis, €18.5m for reaching the final and an extra €6.5m on top of that for the champions.

Arsenal manager Arteta was thrilled with his team's opening victory in Bilbao. He made particular reference to his "finishers" - those who entered from the bench to help overcome the Basque side's stubborn defence.

"Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi and Leo came on to make the difference for the team," Arteta said. "They was outstanding and the rest of the team as well. In many moments, they were at a very good level.

"When someone is able to win the game in those actions and be so clinical, it's exactly what we need because the threat can come from different ways and different players. I'm very pleased with that."