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| Arsenal could temporarily leave the Emirates (Image: Getty Images) |
Arsenal could be about to move to Wembley Stadium while the Emirates Stadium is worked on, as the Gunners plan to extend their home ground to above 70,000 seats
Arsenal are planning a major expansion to the Emirates Stadium that could see them move their home games to Wembley Stadium, it has been claimed.
There has been talk about the Gunners extending their 60,700-capacity ground for some time, but now plans have accelerated and detailed work has gone into a potential overhaul of the north London stadium.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal are hoping to extend the Emirates to beyond 70,000, something that would see them restore the feat as having the biggest club ground in London, overtaking West Ham and Tottenham.
It's added that the Gunners have options to change the gradient of the stands and can adapt the seating plan to fit in more supporters in the future, should the fanbase continue to increase. However, the outer bowl would remain similar in appearance as most of the redevelopments would come inside the ground.
Increasing the capacity would go some way to cutting down the season ticket waiting list that now stands at above 100,000, with some supporters waiting on there for a number of years now.
Meanwhile, the proposed plan would also help pump millions into the club's annual revenue, providing more support to meet Profit and Sustainability (PSR) and Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations
Arsenal's plan to increase the Emirates has gathered pace this year, but it is complex in that it is likely to involve every part of the stadium rather than just one stand. Major new investment in the club’s stadium is expected to run into the hundreds of millions, with a figure of £500m being speculated.
As the Gunners would therefore need to move into a temporary home for work to be completed, Wembley has emerged as the most obvious local option if an agreement could be reached with the Football Association.
Arsenal have played six Champions League fixtures at Wembley in 1998/99 and 1999/2000, winning just two, but have a positive recent record there with four FA Cup victories between 2014 until 2020.
Tottenham played at Wembley for almost two years when they were finishing building their £1.2bn state-of-the-art new stadium. Spurs paid £15m to play home matches at the national stadium.
It's unclear who will lead the Emirates rebuild, although the club's Kroenke family owners have experience in stadium construction across their sports portfolio, notably the £4.1bn 100,000-seat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The Gunners have not reached the stage of seeking planning permission, and are still conscious of the various legal and planning hurdles that they would have to overcome.
Planning permission for a project of this size could take as long as five years, and plans with more minor alterations are also being considered.
Arsenal moved into the £390m Emirates Stadium in 2006 following more than two years of building work and around a decade of planning.
- Kieran King
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