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New info on £84m Arsenal-Tottenham plot after business talks at Premier League HQ
Arch-rivals Tottenham and Arsenal do not agree on much, but the latest data bodes well for one project that the two clubs are backing together.
The North London rivals make up one-third of the so-called ‘Big Six’, who often vote together in matters of Premier League governance.
There are notable exceptions, such as Man City’s ongoing challenge to the Premier League’s associated party transaction rules which have divided the cabal.
But more often than not, the six richest and most influential clubs in the country share common interests and side together accordingly.
Project Big Picture and the European Super League are the most notable examples in recent years.
Those two breakaway projects were eventually abandoned after a historic fan backlash.
But now, another new competition proposed by FIFA has united Spurs, Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea once again.
Does new data validate Spurs and Arsenal’s position on the expanded Club World Cup?
The Club World Cup has historically been a stripped-back affair with European participants required to play a handful of games.
But FIFA have announced that the 2025 edition in the United States will be a 32-team tournament in the style of the international World Cup.
FIFA have previously promised that participating clubs will earn around £42m each, with £84m in prize money on offer for the winning team.
Despite this riches on offer, there is concern among many football stakeholders about player welfare in an already congested fixture calendar.
However, The reported earlier this year that Arsenal, Spurs and the rest of the Big Six all want to play and think fears about burnout are overstated given that the event will only be hosted every four years.
The tournament was the subject of league-wide talks at the Premier League‘s AGM in June.
Now, in news that those clubs will suggest validates their position, analysis from respected analysts has found that elite clubs are playing less football now than they have historically.
Champions League participants are playing on average 50.8 games per season, the lowest total this century.
For context, the high point (excluding the pandemic era) came in 2002-03, when clubs were averaging 55.2 games per season.
Critics will argue that this does not justify adding what could potentially be another seven matches to the calendar for Club World Cup participants.
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TBR Analysis: How much could Arsenal and Spurs really earn from the Club World Cup?
Arsenal and Spurs will not play in the first edition of the new Club World Cup in 2025, with Man City and Chelsea being the Premier League representatives.
However, the owners of both clubs seemingly believe they have a fighting chance of qualifying for future editions, with all the financial benefits that would entail.
And the Club World Cup is being backed by Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger.
FIFA were promising a minimum of £42m earlier this year, but that pre-dates issues they have encountered with securing a broadcast deal.
Talks with Apple to stream the Club World Cup have fallen through because of FIFA’s £800m asking, and world football’s governing body has now invited further regional bids to air the event.
It seems unlikely that Spurs and Arsenal would land FIFA’s original £42m estimate if they were to play in the tournament in future.
That is unless the first edition proves to be a huge success and attracts more commercial interest.