Arsenal are considering expanding the Emirates Stadium as they look to keep up with their Premier League rivals after Manchester United and Newcastle both unveiled plans for new stadiums
11:30, 14 Mar 2025
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Emirates Stadium the home of Arsenal Football Club before the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and PSV at Emirates Stadium on March 12, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are exploring possibilties to expand the Emirates Stadium(Image: David Price, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are exploring the opportunity to expand the Emirates Stadium in an attempt to not fall behind their Premier League rivals.
Following Manchester United's announcement of a £2bn mega-stadium to succeed Old Trafford, Arsenal too are contemplating a stadium expansion. The ambitious Manchester project has been granted approval and is set to spearhead a sweeping revamp of the area.
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Meanwhile, Newcastle have also revealed their intentions to move from St James' Park in favour of a new 65,000-seater stadium, with the club's Saudi owners continuing their attempts to establish the club amongst football's elite.
With these moves shaking up the Premier League landscape, the Gunners are mulling over how to respond. Mail Online reports that Arsenal's chiefs are weighing up several possibilities to boost capacity at the Emirates Stadium.
Discussions are still in their infancy with various avenues on the table. Arsenal bosses are deliberating over the cost and the potential timeframe of the project, as well as its effect on the surrounding area.
London, England - March 12: Gernal view inside the stadium during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium on March 12, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The Emirates is currently the fifth biggest Premier League stadium(Image: DeFodi Images, DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Talks are said to be at an early stage and would likely require Islington Council's permission, while Transport for London would also have a major say.
Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke opened up last summer about the prospect of expanding the stadium, stating: "The internal conversations are starting to occur about (the stadium). It is not an easy renovation, but we see the possibilities of what's there."
Meanwhile, an architect has offered a glimpse into what a potential expansion project could look like. Speaking to The i paper back in December, Nick Tyrer revealed: "It's efficient, everything fits together like a nice puzzle.
"It's impressive what they were able to do on that tight site, but the problem with a puzzle that fits nicely together is as soon as you want to make big changes to it, it's difficult.
"One of the big challenges is there's an elegant roof that is supported in I think eight places.
"The whole roof sits on those eight points and if you want to do any kind of expansion you need to remove the structure that's blocking you, but the only way you can do that is taking the roof off and putting a new wider roof on.
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"If it does involve removing and replacing that, say it's a new roof, you're building a new roof of an 80,000-capacity stadium. You're talking about the realm of a new project, a new stadium from that perspective."
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Arsenal's move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 from Highbury, came at a cost of £390m for the club. Upon opening, it was the second-biggest stadium in the Premier League, though it has now dropped to fifth on the list.