Arsenal are considering expanding their capacity to 80,000, according to a report, though the club insist expansion talk is premature at this stage.
Bloomberg report that Arsenal are considering increasing their stadium capacity to 80,000, citing “people familiar with the matter”.
The same sources add that discussions are at an early stage and no decision has been made. The expansion might vary in size, and advisers are yet to be appointed.
The report goes on to quote an Arsenal spokesperson saying: “We are continually looking at ways to improve our facilities. It is premature to talk about any expansion plans of Emirates Stadium.”
But this isn’t the first we’ve heard about a potential stadium expansion. The Times also recently reported that Arsenal had started to explore how they could upgrade and expand the Emirates.
According to that report, the club realise that they need to keep pace with the demand for tickets, though it’s not clear how they could increase their capacity in a cost-effective way.
Earlier in the summer, Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke confirmed that “internal conversations are starting to occur about [the stadium]”, adding: “It is not an easy renovation, but we see the possibilities of what’s there.”
This is clearly an issue Arsenal are looking at, but it doesn’t appear as though there’s anything imminent in the works. At this stage, it’s just an assessment of what might be possible in the future.