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Liverpool and Arsenal set for multi-million payout after FSG and Stan Kroenke win £99m battle

Adam Williams

Fri 3 January 2025 20:45, UK

Liverpool and Arsenal may well end up as the top two in the Premier League once the season is out, but Arne Slot’s side have a considerable advantage in 2025. Financially, there is an even bigger gap.

Traditionally, Liverpool and Arsenal, alongside Manchester United, have made up the ‘big three’ of English football. This has arguably come with institutional and monetary 🦋advantages.

That is in part ✱why some more conspiratorially minded fans of the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have recently started referring to the trio as the game’s ‘red cartel’.

And while there is no Machiavellian shadowy order ringfencing wealth for themselves in the Premier League, the histories of Liverpool and Arsenal has insulated them against c𝄹ommercial failure.

Both clubs – as well as United – have gone througꦑh baron spells on the pitch but have seen revenues continue to climb and generally remaining profitable.

They have still managed to negotiate enormous sponsorship deals, sell tens of millions of pounds worth or merchandise, andไ organise lucrative overseas pre-season tou🌜rs most years.

Liverꩲpool are expected to jet out to 🐻Japan for pre-season in 2025, for e📖xample, while Arsenal banked £8-10m after spending part🐼 of the summer in the US last summer. Both key commercial markets.

However, Arsenal’s slump on the pitch in recent seasons, which♏ only really ended when Mikel Arteta restored them to the Champions League for the first time in seven years last season, took iꦛts toll.

The Gunners’ revenue in 2022-23, the last financial year on record, was £465m. Liverpool’s turnover was £594m. Man City, the league’s biggest earners, trousered £715🐭m last season, for context.

The gap will shrink when๊꧋ they release their accounts for 2023-24 but it won’t be eliminated entirely.

However, on the whole, the🌳 two clubs have shown remarkabl🥂e financial resilience since the pandemic, which eliminated matchday income and battered commercial operations.

The legacy from the seasons🅰 impacted by Covid-19 is still felt today – although Arsenal and Liverpool have just secured a major victory that has offset their losses from the era.

• READ MORE: Peter Crouch backs Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to do something which only one Premier League pla🧔yer has in 17 years 

Arsenal and Liverpool get windfall from pandemic insurance lawsuit

Arsenal’s owner, Stan Kroenke, and Liverpool’s, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), relied on loans and credit facilities to cover costs during the pandemic, as ꧃opposed to dipping into ♛their personal fortunes.

FSG and Stan Kroenke’s net worth

They also lent on their ins💜urers, 🌳although not to the extent that they would have liked.

Now, however, report that Arsenal and Liverpool have landed a multi-million windfall relating to a business interruption claim against the insurers Allianz, Aviva, CNA Insurance, Zurich and Liberty

During the pan🔯demic, Covid-related payouts were capped at £2.5m. But Arsenal, Liverpool and f🦩ive other clubs were claiming almost £99m in extra damages.

Aston Villa, West Ham, Tottenham, Leicester and Brighton pr💃eviously dropped out of of the case after agreeing to settle.

Li🐲verpool 🃏and Arsenal remain and, the report outlines, have therefore received an additional windfall.

• READ MORE: Kieran Ti🐻erney has decided which club🐠 he wants to join after West Ham enquire about signing Arsenal star

How much can Liverpool and Arsenal spend in the January transfer window?

Across the Premier League, several clubs are feeling the strain in terms of PSR, or Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Liverpool and Arsenal, however, are not among that nu🐠mber.

But the capacity to spend under the Premier League and UEFA’s rules is seconda🍬ry to🧸 the whims of the clubs’ owners, FSG and Kroenke.

There is a ꦗschool of thought that both ownership regimes﷽ are gearing up to taper their spending on recruitment and retention.

Both owners ultimately want thei🧸r clubs to be self-sufficient and, ultimately, to be able to sell them for a massive profit.🉐

Both have secured that already, but they think their is more upside to be achiev🍰ed. Demonstrati♛ng that they can generate profits is a major part of that.

On Liverpool’s part, that may be partly why they appear to have thought they cannot afford to bow to the contract demand🍬s of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold a𝔉nd Virgil van Dijk in one swoop.

That is not to say that neither Arsenal not Liverpool will not spend this January, but it is not expe🅷cted that either will make firewor🅠ks.