Arsenal is planning a large-scale expansion of the Emirates Stadium, a move that may force the team to temporarily relocate its home matches to Wembley Stadium in the future. This ambitious renovation project aims to increase the current capacity of 60,700 to over 70,000, allowing the club to reclaim the title of London’s largest stadium.
With West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur having built new stadiums in succession, Arsenal has slipped to fifth place in the Premier League attendance rankings over the past five years. According to Deloitte data, the club’s average annual matchday revenue between 2021 and 2024 was £105.2 million—£6 million less than Tottenham and nearly £19 million less than Manchester United. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s success story, where matchday revenue soared to €241 million annually after the Bernabéu renovation, is inspiring the Gunners’ management.
The expansion faces significant challenges, as the stadium is located in a 17-acre residential area and surrounded by subway and railway lines. However, the architectural team believes capacity can still be increased by adjusting the slope of the stands and optimizing seating layouts within the existing structure. It is reported that each additional row of seats can add approximately 1,000 seats, and redesigning the curved roof—originally built for lighting and ventilation—will also create more space.
If the project proceeds, the team may follow Tottenham’s example and pay £15 million to rent Wembley as a temporary home for two years. Arsenal previously played 6 Champions League matches there between 1998 and 2000, and has won the FA Cup four times at the national stadium in recent years, so it is no stranger to the venue.
The Kroenke family has continued to inject capital since gaining full ownership of the club in 2018, and even invested £236 million to maintain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upcoming renovation is estimated to cost £500 million and will draw on the experience of Real Madrid’s €1 billion Bernabéu transformation, incorporating modern facilities such as a retractable roof and 360-degree LED screens to create a digital, multi-functional venue.
As Executive Vice-Chairman Tim Lewis steps down and Richard Garlick is promoted to CEO, the club is undergoing a management restructuring. The newly appointed directors include professionals who participated in the construction of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium (costing $5.5 billion), which will host the 2026 World Cup and the opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympics. While the project has not yet entered the approval stage, an internal working group has already launched feasibility studies for multiple plans.
Against the backdrop of the Premier League’s new financial regulations, boosting long-term revenue through stadium upgrades has become a strategic priority for the club. At the same time, competitors such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City are all advancing their own stadium plans, and the "stadium arms race" in the Premier League is intensifying.
