Emirates expansion to 70,000 capacity being thought by Arsenal that will see them play at Wembley temporarily.
Arsenal consider Emirates Stadium expansion to 70,000 capacity.
In an effort to regain its position as London’s largest club stadium, Arsenal is looking into the idea of enlarging the Emirates Stadium.
With a capacity of 60,700, the Emirates Stadium is surpassed by the stadiums of Tottenham and West Ham, which were constructed following Arsenal’s 2006 relocation from Highbury. More than 100,000 fans are on the waiting list for season tickets, and the club’s American owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), is reportedly interested in raising that to 70,000. This would greatly increase match-day revenues.
A working committee was established by Arsenal last year to investigate the viability of any redevelopment; according to insiders, talks are still ongoing and no decision has been taken as of yet. It is believed that several ideas have been considered, including as altering the stands’ gradient to accommodate thousands more seats or going with a much more modest update that would cause less disturbance.
It’s unclear if a more extensive renovation would force Arsenal to move their games, something they were able to avoid when they left Highbury.
Josh Kroenke said in July that an upgrade was being discussed.
“It would be premature to talk about any plans in depth, but the internal conversations are starting to occur about it,” he said. “It is not an easy renovation, but we see the possibilities of what’s there.”