Arsenal could take a leaf out of Manchester City's book in their efforts to redevelop the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners moved into their current home in 2006 after bidding farewell to Highbury. At the time, the Emirates was seen as one of the top stadiums in the country, but in recent years, it has fallen behind new grounds like the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Arsenal have plans to improve the ground and increase its current capacity of just over 60,000. The Gunners will look to expand to at least 70,000 and could even look to increase the stadium's capacity to the 80,000-mark.
Could Arsenal follow Man City model?
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that Arsenal could look to make the Emirates the focal point of a campus, similar to what is available in and around Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.
“The idea of a campus with a football club as the focal point is what you have at Manchester City,” Maguire told Arsenal Insider.
“It is a model which City have, to a certain extent, adopted after observing what we see in the United States. So it would make a lot of sense for Arsenal to follow a similar path.
“It can be used to assist the transition from the stadium as a 25-30 days per year earner to something far more constant. Even if you’re not hosting football matches, you’ve got far steadier revenue streams. You might have the hotel, private clinic, housing units, cinemas and so on that can be added to your portfolio, with financial benefits.
“My only concern with the Emirates is that there is not a lot of land around which they can use. The cost of doing what we have seen at Liverpool, which is buying up local housing, you have London prices factored in, which are significantly higher than in L4.
“Arsenal are very diligent. It won’t be a pie-in-the-sky announcement like we have seen with Man United’s plans for Old Trafford.”
FGG says: Opportunity for new revenue streams
As Arsenal Insider states, the club's owner, Stan Kroenke, will now have the chance to put his property expertise to good use with the plans to develop the Emirates.
Kroenke and the rest of the Arsenal hierarchy will recognise the opportunity to create a year-round venue, similar to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which boasts the ability to host other sports and non-football events throughout the calendar year.
Meanwhile, they will also be aware of the opportunity of creating other revenue streams with facilities and businesses in the vicinity of the Emirates.