Arsenal plan London Colney overhaul after falling behind rivals

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Arsenal are preparing a major redevelopment of their London Colney training base after accepting internally that the facility has fallen behind the standards set by rival clubs, according to the Daily Mail.

The Gunners have called London Colney home since 1999, but in recent years both Manchester United and Liverpool have either relocated to new facilities or carried out significant upgrades to their infrastructure. Arsenal are understood to be looking at ways to catch up with the rest of the Big Six.

Gym and treatment room already refurbished

Arsenal have already seen a refurbishment of their first team gym and treatment areas, while planning permission has been granted for a temporary women's gym. That is said to form part of a wider, more thorough development plan for the site.

The club is also exploring whether it can build a new, state of the art men's hub that would put its facilities on par with the best in Europe. Should that project go ahead, the long term plan would see the women's team eventually move into the building currently used by the men's first team.

Mini stadium plans shelved for now

Last season, Arsenal reportedly considered plans to erect stands around a pitch at London Colney to effectively create a mini stadium for the Under 21s and Under 19s. Informal talks were held with the local council before the club decided not to pursue planning permission.

Arsenal's Under 21s currently play their home fixtures at Meadow Park, the ground of National League leaders Boreham Wood. While the arrangement has worked logistically, Meadow Park represents a longer journey for a number of players and their families compared to a venue based at the training ground itself.

In February 2024, Arsenal signed Dubai based real estate developers Sobha Realty as their first ever training ground sponsor. That deal has provided a commercial boost and could help fund some of the improvements now being considered.

Rivals have already moved

Much of the rest of the Big Six have already invested heavily in their own infrastructure. Anfield and the Etihad have both undergone notable stadium upgrades, while Tottenham opened their purpose built stadium in 2019. Arsenal's own Emirates Stadium was purpose built when the club moved there in 2006, but London Colney itself has seen comparatively little change since the turn of the millennium.

Any redevelopment at London Colney would likely take place over several years given the scale of the ambitions being discussed, from the men's hub to the eventual relocation of the women's team. For now, the refurbished gym and treatment rooms represent the first visible steps in what the club hopes will be a far more extensive transformation of its training base.