Arsenal are set to leave their 60,432-capacity Emirates Stadium and have talks scheduled with the FA next month about a temporary switch to Wembley.
The club wants to boost capacity beyond 70,000, making the Emirates the biggest Premier League stadium in London — ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s 62,850 seater and West Ham’s 62,500.
Redevelopment costing an estimated £500 million would modernise the Emirates, changing the gradient of the stands to enable a larger capacity and provide better facilities.
Arsenal have reportedly looked at Real Madrid’s €1.7bn upgrade to the Santiago Bernabéu, which has a retractable roof and pitch in addition to store for 84,000 fans.
If approved, the plans would compel the Arsenal to move out on a temporary basis with Wembley Stadium considered the most likely destination. Tottenham played home games at Wembley throughout the 2017-18 campaign as they finished off their £1.2billion stadium build, after sealing a temporary switch to the national stadium for £15m.
Arsenal ploughed £390 million into building the Emirates in 2006, while still being based in Highbury during its two-year construction. Now, almost two decades later, the Gunners are ready to take their next bold move — and it just might reshape their legendary north London home for a new age.
