Arsenal exploring game-changing expansion to Emirates Stadium
- Arsenal exploring potential improvements to Emirates Stadium
- Premier League rivals have increased matchday revenues
- Gunners could look into expanding capacity of home opened in 2006
Arsenal are keen to explore ways to improve the Emirates Stadium and increase its capacity in a bid to keep up with some of their Premier League rivals.
The Gunners moved into their current home back in 2006 and are approaching the 20th anniversary of their departure from Highbury. It was the biggest club ground in London at the time, but has since been overtaken by local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, whose stadium can hold 62,850 supporters
Other sides in England - like Spurs, Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham United - have managed to increase their matchday income and The Times claim Arsenal are aware they need to make changes to the Emirates to boost their own finances.
The north London giants trailed all five of their top-six rivals for total revenue in 2022/23. While Manchester City topped the charts at £712.8m, Arsenal raked in £464.6m in comparison, with Manchester United (£648m), Liverpool (£593.8m), Tottenham (£549.6m) and Chelsea (£512.5m) all sitting ahead of them.
£102.6m of Arsenal's £464.6m came in matchday income, though that figure should increase in their next set of accounts for 2023/24 after Mikel Arteta's side reached the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The Premier League side regularly sell out for tickets at home games and their top officials are aware they need to increase capacity at the Emirates, but how they do so is still up in the air.
Arsenal took their capacity crowd up to 60,704 when they added 780 seats in 2018, but The Times add the club is unsure how to increase it further in a 'cost-effective' manner. One suggestion has been to consider changing the elliptical roof.
The Gunners have made their home ground a fortress in recent years, losing there just three times in all competitions last season. They're unbeaten in north London so far in 2024/25 but fell to a first defeat of the campaign on Saturday night at Bournemouth after William Saliba's red card.
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