Arsenal director Josh Kroenke has confirmed that initial talks are taking place over renovations at the Emirates Stadium.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Director of Arsenal Josh Kroenke (R) and Tim Lewis Executive Vice-Chair of Arsenal (L) during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal FC and FC Porto at Emirates Stadium on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Director of Arsenal Josh Kroenke (R) and Tim Lewis Executive Vice-Chair of Arsenal (L) during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal FC and FC Porto at Emirates Stadium on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Arsenal director and vice chairman of club ownership group KSE Josh Kroenke has been speaking to the media this week, with the team currently in the United States for their pre-season tour.

In an interview with ESPN, Kroenke hinted that stadium improvements could be in the work for the Gunners.

“It would be premature to talk about any plans in depth, but the internal conversations are starting to occur about [the stadium],” Kroenke said.

“It is not an easy renovation, but we see the possibilities of what’s there.”

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 26: Stan Kroenke owner of Arsenal and the Los Angeles Rams, signs an autograph as he attends the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Barcelona at SoFi Stadium on July 26, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Stan Kroenke, owner of Arsenal and the Los Angeles Rams, signs an autograph as he attends the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Barcelona at SoFi Stadium on July 26, 2023. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Stadium expansion is usually the proposal that gets the fans the most excited, particularly given the high current levels of demand for tickets for Arsenal home games.

But increasing the Emirates Stadium’s capacity wouldn’t be an easy task, with the ground’s capacity limited by the available public transport options as much as anything else.

Perhaps a more realistic change could be to bring the stands a bit closer to the pitch, with the current design leaving a gap around the edges.

In general, the Emirates is still a relatively modern ground, and there have been improvements in recent years such as the stadium wrap refresh, the new big screens, and work on the leaky roof. But there are always areas for improvement.

Arsenal's English midfielder #41 Declan Rice celebrates scoring the team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium, in London, on May 4, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Declan Rice celebrates scoring the team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium, in London, on May 4, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Josh Kroenke has been saying the right things in recent press conferences, including pushing back on the possibility of moving Premier League games overseas.

“I am not 100% sure of where this thought came from but while it does sound attractive to a broadcaster or to FIFA, we are happy with the current arrangement in the schedule both domestically and in Europe,” Kroenke said.

“As a club, we have worked incredibly hard on and off the pitch the past few years… so our goal is to re-establish a meaningful connection with our supporters, help shape club policy where appropriate and develop trust in the direction we are heading as a club.

“For anyone who has been at the Emirates the past few years, what we have now is very special, there a lot of factors that go into creating such a special environment.

“I believe the people in this room have helped turn our home stadium into a fortress and we want to host as many matches as possible so our players feel the love and injection of energy that is provided by the special environment.”

The hope is that those words will be backed up with actions over the coming years.