Arsenal have shelved plans for a major expansion of the Emirates Stadium, opting instead for a programme of smaller improvements as the club’s owners review the Premier League champions’ wider operation.
A working group led by the chief executive, Richard Garlick, was set up in 2024 to examine the feasibility of increasing the stadium’s 60,704 capacity, with some reports suggesting Arsenal could temporarily stage home matches at Wembley while work took place. The club has now decided against major redevelopment and will concentrate on what it described as the “continued evolution” of a home it has occupied since 2006.
The direction of travel was confirmed at a supporters’ meeting, where Arsenal said improvements would focus on hospitality, retail, visitor facilities and the matchday experience — an area the co-chair Josh Kroenke had previously highlighted. “We shared a commitment to the continued evolution of Emirates Stadium, rather than a huge-scale masterplan, building on improvement we have made to date in partnership with our catering partner, Legends, the introduction of safe standing (this season in the Clock End, and next season in the North Bank), improving hospitality and retail experiences, and upgrading visitor experiences,” the club said.
Mikel Arteta, who last season guided Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2022, is believed to have expressed concern over the disruption that any temporary move would have caused. It is understood Arsenal did not apply to host matches at Euro 2028, with a potential redevelopment in mind.
The decision sits alongside a broader review of the club’s operations. The owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment — which agreed a record $4bn deal to buy Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels last month — is understood to have brought in Boston Consulting Group to examine parts of the operation, with the review overseen internally by Garlick and still ongoing. There is no indication it will necessarily result in job losses among Arsenal’s approximately 800 employees; sources have suggested the work is principally focused on non-football operations and on identifying ways to improve efficiency.
Arsenal’s choice comes amid competition from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019 with a capacity of 62,850 and was designed to host a wide range of sporting and entertainment events, including NFL games and concerts. Despite their smaller capacity, Arsenal have significantly increased their matchday revenue, with income reportedly doubling over five seasons to more than £150m a season, helped by the club’s return to the Champions League and an expansion of corporate hospitality.
The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust said it had been given guarantees that the club had “no current plans” to reduce ordinary seating or move fans in order to increase corporate numbers.
On the playing side, Christos Tzolis is to return to Arsenal for assessment after sustaining a suspected muscle injury while on international duty with Greece. Germany’s Kai Havertz pulled out of international duty after picking up an injury against the Netherlands, but Arsenal are believed to be hopeful he could feature against Leeds next Saturday.