Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that Arsenal are taking inspiration from Tottenham Hotspur after the Lilywhites ‘stole a march’ on their North London rivals in a key aspect.
While Tottenham Hotspur may not have had as much success on the pitch as their fans would have hoped for over the last two decades, they are outperforming many of their rivals off the pitch.
In fact, according to some estimates, Spurs are considered the second most valuable Premier League club, valued at over £3 billion.
Some experts have suggested that ENIC may feel that Tottenham are undervalued by the market, which is why they have no intention to sell the club at the moment.
Arsenal want to ape Tottenham’s stadium commercialisation
A huge reason for Tottenham being so attractive to many investors is down to the revenue-earning potential of the club’s stadium.
Kieran Maguire has now said that Arsenal’s proposal to expand the Emirates Stadium is done with the intention of catching up to their North London rivals.
Maguire told Football Insider: “Arsenal are conscious that they are in a competitive market, but Spurs have certainly stolen a march on them in terms of the commercialisation of White Hart Lane, if that’s what it should be called.
“And therefore, if all the other things are equal, potentially Spurs are generating more money in a season from match day. And that historically would never have been the case.
“So, they are looking at the possibility of expanding the Emirates Stadium. It’s currently just over 60,000. It looks as if the increase will probably be in the region of only another 10,000 seats.
“People might say, well, you know, is it really worth the effort? Because this is likely to involve Arsenal having to relocate and probably play at Wembley for a couple of seasons. I think it will be worth it from the point of view of the finance director and the compliance with future PSR or its equivalents.”
Potential investors see huge commercial opportunity with Spurs
According to some outlets, investors are particularly interested in Spurs as they see significant potential to increase the club’s revenue.
The commercial opportunities tied to the NFL games and concerts being held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are seen as a golden goose by many in the industry.
However, it does not appear that the club is for sale, with ENIC rejecting takeover interest from three parties since Daniel Levy’s exit.