Planning for the Future
Arsenal are currently working on a plan to renovate the Emirates Stadium, with chief executive Richard Garlick leading the discussions. This was revealed by co-chair Josh Kroenke during a recent interview with the media. The club, which has recently experienced a resurgence, is considering various ways to evolve its facilities, especially given the potential to sell significantly more tickets than the current capacity of 60,704.
The stadium, now 20 years old, operates in a different financial environment compared to when it first opened. Kroenke emphasized that Garlick is spearheading these conversations. He also mentioned that several new board members, who are involved in operations in the United States, are contributing to the planning process.
“We’re starting these exercises with some of our advisers, but the Emirates has been an amazing stadium for us. I think we took it to a different level this year. I think that’s credit to Mikel [Arteta] and those players,” Kroenke said.
Preserving Character
Kroenke also highlighted the importance of preserving the character of the stadium. “But there’s some character that I want to make sure we’re preserving and bringing back to the ground as well. I think we can do that in a very elegant manner that’s really to the benefit of Arsenal.”
He added that the club takes pride in the facilities and teams in the United States, and he believes there is an opportunity to enhance the matchday experience for Arsenal supporters. “We do this stuff in the States in our facilities and our teams. We take great pride in it so I think we have a chance to come over and really give the Arsenal supporters an elevated matchday experience from where they are right now.”
Lessons from the SoFi Stadium
When asked about lessons from the high-tech SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which the Kroenkes built for their NFL franchise, the LA Rams, Kroenke said, “that’s still to be determined.” He mentioned that he has received comments over the years about the walls of Highbury, the previous home of Arsenal, and the character of that building.
“I’ve made that comment to a few people and they’ve asked me that same question,” he added. “I say I want to leave it up to our supporters and people that have experienced that to really tell me what that means. So we’re still sifting through that but I do want Arsenal fans to know this is a very modern facility but also has a character.”
Balancing Renovations and Home Advantage
One of the plans discussed over the years involves raising the four corners of the stadium. However, the club has been cautious about temporarily sacrificing home advantage by playing games at an alternative venue like Wembley.
Transfer Plans and New Opportunities
Despite winning the title, Kroenke stated that the club’s transfer plans remain unchanged. However, he acknowledged that the success might open up new opportunities. According to previous reports, Arsenal is looking to bring in a left-sided player and at least two other signings, with targets including Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, and Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth.
“No, I don’t think so,” Kroenke said when asked if Arsenal would go even bigger after winning the league. “We’ve had some conversations about different things and how they’re starting to take shape. But I think it’s a good boost and a great question, and maybe there is some opportunity that we’re not aware of that comes out of this success.”
He concluded by stating that regardless of the results, the club’s plans would remain the same. “But I think win or lose, our plans were our plans. And we were going to continue to do that even if the results hadn’t been we wanted.”
