Arsenal Top Premier League Income List

Arsenal may not have won the Premier League. But they have won the race to receive £100 million from the Premier League, topping last season’s list.

In the modern football world, economics often wins. While the underdog story is a romantic celebration, Leicester City being a prime of example of such romanticism, it is, unfortunately, an exception rather than a norm. The norm is that where the money is, the trophies are also.

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While this does not mean to say that it is impossible to invest heavily and fail to find success. There are clearly plenty of examples in all sports when money has not equaled success. Nonetheless, there is a clear general trend that money can indeed buy you success, whether the romantic fan wants to believe it so or not.

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It is something that is so often dismissed in sport, but the role of the banker is a crucial one. Thankfully, it is a statement that has not gone amiss to Arsene Wenger. He has been much maligned in his recent years with the club for being unwilling to dip his hand into his pocket. Ever since the move to the Emirates, Wenger has managed the club on a much smaller budget than everyone thought, so much so, that he has since stated that he was integral to securing the loans for the construction of the Emirates in the first place.

Now, the rewards are being payed for Wenger’s meticulous planning and preparation. Wenger’s unwavering confidence in the numbers is what has set Arsenal in such good financial stead. It has allowed them to invest big money in players like Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and impending transfer Granit Xhaka. It will allow them to continue to be big players in the transfer market, while also possessing an infrastructure that any club would be proud of; a youth system that rivals the best in the country, a training ground of world class standard, and a stadium that signifies the modern day Arsenal.

It is also such planning and preparation, such trust in the finances of the future, that now sees Arsenal sit atop the money received from the Premier League this past season.

Over £100 million is a significant figure, something that the club should be proud of and Wenger praised for. Is it a replacement for trophies? No, absolutely not. But does it set the club up to challenge for trophies in the future? Without a doubt.

As long as Wenger and the board see fit to invest, there is now vast amounts of money available to them. Whether they chose to or not, is another question. Wenger is notoriously unwilling to enter into transfer dealings if he feels the right player is not available. However, this would, unlike previous seasons, offer him the capital to challenge the Chelsea’s, City’s and United’s for some of the top talent around the world.

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Wenger has masterfully ran this club behind the scenes. On the field, there is much to be desired, but Le Professeur should be highly praised for the position he will leave this club in, when he eventually calls it a day.