Arsenal shelves Emirates Stadium expansion after 60,704-cap talks

Arsenal have shelved plans for a major expansion of the Emirates Stadium and will stick with the 60,704 capacity figure that had been considered, moving towards smaller improvements while owners review the club’s broader operations, according to The Guardian.

Smaller changes at Emirates

In 2024, Arsenal set up a working group led by chief executive Richard Garlick to examine the feasibility of increasing the Emirates’ capacity. While reports suggested the club could temporarily host home games at Wembley, the club decided against a big redevelopment.

Arsenal confirmed to supporters that the upgrades would focus on hospitality, retail, visitor facilities and the matchday experience — a topic co-chair Josh Kroenke had previously highlighted.

Operational review continues

Mikel Arteta, who guided Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2022 last season, is understood to have raised concerns about the disruption a temporary move would have caused. Arsenal also did not apply to host matches at Euro 2028.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which agreed a record $4bn deal last month to buy the Los Angeles Angels, is understood to have brought in Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to examine parts of its operations. The work is overseen internally by Garlick and is described as ongoing, with no clear indication it will lead to job losses among the club’s roughly 800 employees.

The decision comes as Arsenal compete commercially with a Tottenham Hotspur Stadium venue launched in 2019. Arsenal, despite having a smaller capacity, have reportedly doubled matchday revenue over five seasons to more than £150m a season, helped by their return to the Champions League and expanded corporate hospitality. Arsenal’s supporters’ trust says it received guarantees there are “no current plans” to reduce ordinary seating or relocate fans to grow corporate areas. Christos Tzolis is set to return for assessment after a suspected muscle injury with Greece, and Kai Havertz is believed to be hopeful for the match against Leeds after withdrawing from international duty following an injury against the Netherlands.