‘Arsenal set for £16m hit after devastating blow’
Arsenal could be set to miss out on a significant windfall after suffering defeat to PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.
The Premier League side have enjoyed a strong European campaign, having finished third in the revamped league phase of the Champions League.
They beat PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate in the last 16 to set up a showdown with Real Madrid.
Arsenal blew the Spanish giants away in the quarter-finals, securing a 5-1 win on aggregate, including a stunning 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg.
However, the Gunners suffered a 1-0 defeat against PSG on Tuesday (29 April) in their semi-final first leg following Ousmane Dembele’s early strike at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side now face an uphill task to reach the final, with the two sides going head-to-head in Paris next week.
The winner of the tie will play either Barcelona or Inter Milan in the final at the Allianz Arena next month.
Arsenal have landed guaranteed £100m windfall
Arsenal have already banked a guaranteed £100million windfall from the Champions League after reaching the semi-finals.
That is significantly more than they earned from the competition last season, having raked in around £77million before being knocked out by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
An exit at the semi-final stage this time around will see the Gunners miss out on a further £16million, with PSG currently on course to land that windfall for reaching the final.
Although there is everything still to play for, the French champions are a completely different proposition this season.
Luis Enrique’s side have earned plenty of plaudits after beating Liverpool and Aston Villa in the previous two rounds.
It would be a devastating blow for Arsenal to not make it through to the final, having lost out on the Premier League title to Liverpool and failing in the domestic cup competitions.
The north London giants’ last major trophy came in 2020 when they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Arsenal open talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres
The Champions League prize money will provide Arteta with some extra cash to make new signings this summer.
Arsenal have opened talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres following his sensational form for Sporting Lisbon.
The Gunners’ new sporting director Andrea Berta is a big fan of the Sweden international and is now leading the pursuit.
| Appearances | 48 |
| Goals | 52 |
| Assists | 12 |
Negotiations are taking place behind the scenes to convince the 26-year-old striker and put together a package to secure his signature.
Gyokeres, who has an £85million release clause in his contract, has registered 52 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances this season.
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