"Games with the Gunners in the Champions League could become a reality," Tula head coach Sergei Pavlov told Reuters.
It may be a while yet before they get to visit Premier League Arsenal, but there are similarities between the clubs. They share the same nickname and many of Tula's players follow the fortunes of Arsene Wenger's side in England.
Tula, around 200 kilometres south of Moscow has been at the heart of the country's armaments industry for centuries while Arsenal nickname the Gunners originates from the time they were called Woolwich Arsenal after the British armed forces armaments site south of the River Thames.
There the similarities end. Since being formed in 1946, Arsenal Tula have only played one season in Russia's top flight, finishing bottom of the table last season.
They returned at the first time of asking after beating Spartak Moscow 2-1 on Tuesday and Pavlov thinks this time they are better-equipped to stay up.
"I am sure that our team has come back to the elite and are here to stay," the 60-year-old Pavlov said.
Tula defender Alexander Denisov said he hopes they can become a force like the club from the English capital.
"As strange as it may seem, I have supported Arsenal from London since my childhood," he told Reuters.
"I am worried that they have not been able to win the English title for 12 years. This is a team with traditions. I want Arsenal Tula to be like their counterparts from London."
Tula's budget for 2015-16 was only 340 million roubles ($5.19 million), although that should rise next season.
"Our country is going through difficult times, but when the crisis finishes, people will start to invest a lot of money in football. Then our matches with Arsenal in the Champions League will not be just a fantasy," Denisov added.
Tula's general director Andrei Nikitin said a new investor was imminent.
"We will sign an important sponsorship deal at the end of May, who will become the team's main backer," he said.
"Everyone, including the governor of the Tula region, knows how much money we need. We will get enough to help us compete in the Premier League and to help us to progress further."
(Reporting By Dmitriy Rogovitskiy; editing by Martyn Herman)
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