Arsenal plan London Colney overhaul as rivals' training ground upgrades expose the gap

Arsenal are planning a major upgrade to their London Colney training ground after internally accepting that the facility has fallen behind the standard set by their Premier League rivals, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The Gunners have been based at London Colney since 1999, but in recent years Manchester United and Liverpool have either relocated to entirely new facilities or undertaken substantial infrastructure improvements. That investment gap has prompted Arsenal to explore how they can modernise and compete.

The club has already begun incremental work, with a refurbishment of the first-team gym and treatment areas understood to be under way. Arsenal have also been granted planning permission for a temporary women’s gym, which forms part of a broader, longer-term development plan.

The most ambitious element of that plan is the potential construction of a new state-of-the-art men’s hub that the club hopes would rival the best facilities in Europe. Should that project be completed, the long-term intention is for the women’s team to inherit the existing men’s facility — a move that would represent a significant upgrade for the women’s set-up as well.

Arsenal also explored the possibility of erecting stands around a pitch at London Colney to create a compact stadium for their Under-21 and Under-19 sides. The club is understood to have held informal discussions with the local council before deciding not to pursue a formal planning application. The Under-21s currently play at Boreham Wood’s Meadow Park ground, a venue that presents logistical challenges for players and their families.

On the commercial side, Arsenal secured their first training ground sponsorship in February 2024, partnering with Dubai-based real estate developer Sobha Realty. The revenue generated from that deal is expected to contribute to funding the planned improvements at London Colney.

The wider context is one of sustained infrastructure investment across the top of English football. Anfield and the Etihad Stadium have both undergone notable capacity expansions, while Tottenham Hotspur opened their new ground in 2019. Arsenal moved into the Emirates Stadium in 2006, a purpose-built arena that remains one of the Premier League’s most modern matchday venues — making the relative stagnation at their training base a more pressing concern for the club’s leadership.