Arsenal could take a leaf out of SoFi Stadium’s book when it comes to creating an incredible venue for their fanbase
Arsenal could look towards the World Cup for more than transfer targets if they are to elevate the Emirates Stadium in the future.
American business mogul Stan Kroenke has been in charge of the Gunners as owner and co-chairman for several years, overseeing their historic Premier League title last season. But the billionaire has his fingers in plenty of other pies across the sporting world, including NFL side, the Los Angeles Rams.
He personally financed the redevelopment of the Rams’ stadium, which they share with the Los Angeles Chargers. Kroenke put forward £5billion of his own funds to make the SoFi one of the best sporting destinations in the United States. Arsenal look set to follow suit with a renovation of their own at the Emirates Stadium.
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While European football and the sport of the NFL are incredibly different, the SoFi Stadium being used as a venue for the World Cup helped show off just how impressive the rebuild had been. The USA’s clash with Paraguay on Saturday allowed viewers across the globe to gain insight into what £5bn can get you, and it is fair to say it went down well.
The 360 viewing screens in the middle of the stadium, alongside a retracting roof and a capacity of up to 100,000 spectators, are just a few of the impressive features the location has to offer. The stadium reopened its doors in 2020 and is the world’s most expensive sporting venue.
The question is, will Arsenal follow suit and create a massive, new stadium of their own, better than what north London already has on offer? Critics may slam the decision to shut down the area for a rebuild while the Gunners have momentum on their side, forcing the reigning champions to play their games elsewhere until renovation is complete.
Co-chairman Josh Kroenke, Stan’s son, revealed the stadium redevelopment talks and confirmed chief executive Richard Garlick is leading the charge. He said: “Rich Garlick is leading those conversations on our end right now.
“We have several new members of the board that are plugged into that, that do those operations for us in the States. They’re putting together a plan right now to renovate the Emirates.
“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.
“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. 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.”
The club’s hierarchy will see the pound signs, as a redevelopment would bring in thousands more season tickets. The stadium’s current capacity is 60,704, but it is likely to increase tenfold should the rebuild go ahead.
The Emirates is now 20 years old, and while it looks modern, a few upgrades certainly wouldn’t be frowned upon by fans. However, the lengthy closure may be the only thing that could see people turn their noses up at the opportunity.
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