Arsenal has joined the Premier League in its pursuit of stadium redevelopment initiatives as the next significant revenue source, as profitability remains a distant goal for the majority of clubs.
By the conclusion of the upcoming season, the Emirates Stadium will have been officially inaugurated 20 years ago during a ceremony that was attended by the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Arsenal nobility from the past and present.
Arsenal has been eclipsed by West Ham, Liverpool, and Tottenham, the archrivals of North London.
By that time, Manchester City will have completed an expansion that will increase its capacity to 61,000. Given Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s intentions to construct a 100,000-seat stadium, Manchester United, who are currently the largest matchday income generators in English football, may soon find themselves in a different financial world.
The 60,000 barrier is anticipated to be breached by Newcastle United and Chelsea in the next few years, either through the expansion of St James’ Park and Stamford Bridge, respectively, or the construction of entirely new facilities.
The ceiling in terms of matchday income, on the other hand, is less defined.
Bricks-and-mortar stadium projects are expensive but top-end clubs believe they represent the biggest growth opportunity and the chance to diversify away from media and commercial income.
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