Ciaran Morrison

Fri 6 March 2026 18:30, UK

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Arsenal have agreed a never-seen-before deal but bonuses should be team-related and not individual.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, following a clause in set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s contract.

Jover receives a bonus every time the Gunners score from a set-piece, as they continue to lead the way for goals scored from dead-ball situations this season.

Arsenal remain top of the Premier League table, with their ability to frequently score from set-pieces having played a major part in their charge towards the title.

Arsenal agreed ‘strange’ Nicolas Jover deal

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – doesn’t believe there should be individual bonuses in football.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness recalls when David Moyes was “fuming” at Everton over a clause in Leon Osman’s contract.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I haven’t seen anything like that. And in fact, I was racking my brains about this because I used to have a goal bonus in Leon Osman’s contract and I renewed it every time we did a new contract with him.

“And David Moyes was fuming at me because he didn’t want players to have goal bonuses because he felt, you know, they’re going to take the shot rather than actually pass it sometimes. And that’s a fair, fair point. And you’ve got to wonder, you know, are the squad you know, taking, you know, scoring from set pieces. I don’t know.

“I mean, it’s just, it’s a strange situation that you prefer, or you give bonuses for things that should be part of the team play anyway. And that really, I think any bonuses should be team-related because it is a team game.

“And so I don’t think it’s actually, I think Moyes convinced me over the years that, that probably was the wrong thing to do, and that everything should be treated equally. And so if somebody was to get a bonus, perhaps it should then be put into the squad and recognised by the squad for what he’s done but that’s probably more motivational.”

Premier League told to take action over set-pieces

Wyness told Football Insider that he believes the Premier League will clamp down on set-piece issues in the summer ahead of next season.

Holding in the box is becoming more frequent between opposition players, with referees criticised for not taking firmer action.

Any changes may mean Arsenal have to change how they work their set-pieces in order to continue scoring goals at such a phenomenal rate that they have been producing this season.