Despite only being built in the 21st century, an Emirates Stadium expansion has been rumoured for several years now.
Arsenal have been rejuvenated in recent years under the management of former midfielder Mikel Arteta. The club have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons and feels closer than ever to ending their 21-year wait for a league title.
With the fortunes of the Gunners improving on the pitch, the owners have discussed the possibility of increasing the capacity at the Emirates Stadium. A recent report suggests that the owners have a plan in place to expand the Emirates, making it one of the biggest in one of the biggest in the Premier League.
According to reports, this plan is targeted towards the 20th anniversary of their transition from Highbury, which happened in May 2006.
Here is everything you need to know about a potential redevelopment of the Emirates.
What’s the Arsenal stadium like now?
The Emirates Stadium officially opened in July 2006 and since then has been the home of Arsenal’s men’s team, as well as hosting matches for Arsenal’s women’s team. From the 2025/26 season onwards, the women's team will move permanently into the stadium for all of their home league matches.
When Arsenal first moved into the 60,000-capacity facility, there were concerns that it lacked the football soul that became synonymous with the former Highbury Stadium. However, in recent years, it has felt much more like home, especially under Arteta’s reign.
The introduction of fan anthems such as ‘North London Forever’, which is now sung before every home match, and the growing popularity of the women’s team have led to the Emirates becoming much more popular with Arsenal supporters.
At the beginning of the 2025/26 season, Arsenal made another subtle but strategic change at the Emirates by removing the tunnel cover. The idea behind the move was to create a more intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams, as players now step directly into the roar of the crowd.
Without the tunnel barrier, the noise and energy from the stands hit them the moment they walk onto the pitch.
Why are Arsenal owners looking to expand the Emirates Stadium?
It was announced in June 2024 that the Premier League clubs had agreed to a new financial system, alongside the much-maligned Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). In a bid to generate more cash, several clubs across the division have turned to their respective stadiums as a way to do exactly that.
Arsenal are in a position where they could comfortably sell out more tickets, too. The average attendance at the stadium is consistently at capacity, and there is a long waiting list of over 100,000 people for season tickets, despite the high prices.
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Additionally, there may be a sense of not wanting to be left behind, in the ever-changing stadium landscape in English football.
Everton have moved into their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, while Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, their North London rivals, Tottenham, are considered to have the best stadium in the country after moving out of White Hart Lane in 2018.
Another one of their London rivals, Chelsea, are also weighing up whether to expand Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium at Earl's Court.
Clubs such as Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Manchester City are also pushing ahead with expansion plans for their respective stadiums.
No significant renovations have been made to the Emirates since moving into the ground in 2006, and it could soon look quite dated once all the current stadium renovations in the Premier League are complete.
The Emirates has been pushed down to number five on the list of biggest stadiums in the Premier League, with West Ham's London Stadium and Tottenham's home ground overtaking it in recent years.
Timeline of Emirates Stadium expansion
October 2025: Emirates to surpass 70,000 capacity
According to a report from The Telegraph, Arsenal are exploring a major redevelopment that would see the Emirates Stadium expanded from its current 60,700 capacity to over 70,000 seats. The project is expected to form part of the club’s plans to mark 20 years since leaving Highbury for their new home in 2006.
Early proposals indicate that the club could adjust the steepness of the stands and reconfigure the seating arrangement to create additional space for supporters. Most of the planned upgrades would be contained within the current structure, allowing the Emirates to retain its distinctive design and atmosphere while significantly boosting capacity.
One interesting subplot to the expansion story is that the club could be forced to temporarily move across London to Wembley Stadium while the work is completed. If this does happen, then Arsenal would become the second team in London to make Wembley their temporary home after Spurs did the same in the late 2010s, while the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was being built.
Given that the Emirates has become something of a cauldron under Mikel Arteta, a temporary move away from their home is something the Spaniard would likely push against. However, if it's impossible to complete the expansion project without shutting the stadium, then Arteta's opinion on the matter could be irrelevant.
May 2025: Arsenal target 2028 completion
While very little progress has been made in the Emirates expansion project so far, the Gunners have suggested that a completion date of 2028 is realistic and achievable.
However, with a construction firm yet to be appointed, plans yet to be submitted and solutions to travel infrastructure issues yet to be found, there is still a long way to go before this project gains any tangible momentum.
Reduced interest rates a positive for Arsenal
As mentioned, discussions of an Arsenal stadium expansion are still in their infancy and therefore, the club are still a significant amount of time away from exploring finance options for the potential project.
However, with interest rates recently being cut in the United Kingdom, it is worth noting that the borrowing climate just got a whole lot more appealing to those keen on starting new projects, a category in which Arsenal almost certainly fall into.
The initial construction of the Emirates set the Gunners back years financially, and the Kroenkes will be desperate to avoid a similar situation this time around.
March 2025: Arsenal set to use Santiago Bernabeu as inspiration
In the early stages of 2025, it was reported that Arsenal were studying Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu, or more specifically, the way in which the Spanish giants redeveloped the ground in 2019.
The club have admitted that while they are exploring ways in which to expand and improve the Emirates, the task appears extremely difficult. They are, therefore, exploring the ways in which other clubs, such as Real Madrid, have successfully navigated such issues in the past.
That does not mean the Emirates will become a carbon copy of the Bernabeu, however, with Arsenal executives attending an event at the ground in 2024 to discuss stadium design, there could be a few ideas borrowed in North London.
December 2024: Emirates to reach 80,000 capacity in future
Arsenal have begun the process of looking to expand on the Emirates Stadium, much to the joy of the fans. Reports in early December suggested that Arsenal had started to look at how they could expand the stadium beyond the current 60,000 capacity and move closer to 80,000.
The plans would see them take the spot as the largest stadium in the country, even moving above the rumoured new stadium Newcastle United have planned. However, it would fall short of the ambitious 100,000-capacity Old Trafford expansion if that ever happens.
No real timeline has been suggested, though the club has huge demands for tickets, and with their continued push for the Premier League title, that demand will only increase.
The new capacity would be a roughly 33% increase on what the Emirates capacity can hold today. Opening in 2006, the Emirates has now slipped to fifth on the top capacity chart, with Arsenal sitting in third place for the highest matchday income.
September 2024 – The Times report suggests Arsenal are exploring ways to match rivals' income
A report from The Times suggested that an expansion of the Emirates Stadium was still in the works. The core reason for this is, of course, financial. At 60,000 capacity right now, the Emirates Stadium is one of the largest in the country. However, local rivals, such as Tottenham, have recently moved into a new stadium near 63,000 capacity. While it's only minor, it does bring Spurs roughly £6m in match-day revenue every weekend.
For Arsenal, however, they cannot increase match-day earnings much more without renovation to the stadium. With 146 executive boxes, twice what Spurs have, Arsenal really are at its limits.
How Arsenal would expand the Emirates also remains to be seen. One idea is they could renovate the elliptical roof, which is designed to help airflow and sunlight reach the pitch.
For now, Arsenal looks to be bulking up the stadium's food and drink situation by hiring Populous, the company that designed the stadium, to improve the catering potential of the stadium.
July 2024 – Josh Kroenke reveals ‘internal conversations’ about Emirates Stadium expansion
In an interview with ESPN on 30 July, Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke was asked about the possibility of expanding the Emirates in the future. He said: “It would be premature to talk about any plans in depth, but the internal conversations are starting to occur about [the stadium]. It is not an easy renovation, but we see the possibilities of what's there.
“Our goal was always to compete for the Premier League title because if you look around the world, if you are competing for the title year-in, year-out, you are competing for everything else.”
Arsenal supporters have speculated that the capacity could be increased to 75,000 if redevelopment was given planning permission, but the specifics of the plans have not been announced yet.
He also expressed the club’s desire to continue to invest in the women’s team. Kroenke added: “What can our fans expect? Everything they've gotten in the last few years. We're going to keep adding to the group. I know Mikel's energy is through the roof in the best of ways. In our women's team as well, you see how women's sport is taking off around the world. We are really excited about that part of the business.
“But as a club our main goal is to continue to make our supporters proud.”
FGG says: Arsenal keen to stay ahead of rivals
When Arsenal first moved to the Emirates Stadium almost 20 years ago, the Gunners boasted one of the largest stadiums in England.
However, in the time that has passed since, many clubs have caught up.
London rivals Tottenham and West Ham, in particular, have since moved into 60,000-seaters, and with talk of a new Chelsea stadium now on the cards, it is understandable that Arsenal are looking to expand once more.
However, whether the Gunners are able to achieve an expansion to 75,000 seats remains to be seen.