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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Nathan Ridley

Arsenal plan multi-million investment to avoid Man Utd mistakes

Arsenal are set to invest millions into the Emirates Stadium this summer in a bid to avoid Manchester United 's mistakes at Old Trafford.

The Gunners' ground has been open for more than 15 years and is seen as one of English football's finest arenas, but supporters have complained in recent years about leaky roofs among other issues - much like United's fans.

Talks are already underway over a costly renovation to address general wear and tear, with chiefs executive Vinai Venkatesham informing fan groups of the news on Tuesday night, according to the Telegraph.

On top of changes to their big screen system and turnstile readers, Arsenal are also looking to replace the crests and banners at their home, keen to keep up with rivals Tottenham Hotspur after their spectacular stadium opened in 2019.

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The Emirates will be upgraded in the summer (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Evidenced by their actions, the Gunners want to avoid the situation United found themselves in.

Chiefs at Old Trafford have faced heavy criticism over the state of their home in recent years, with club legend Gary Neville describing the stadium as "rusty and rotting" amid the European Super League fiasco.

"The Glazer family have been resilient and stubborn for many, many years. I think they are struggling to meet the financial demands that this club needs and have done for some time," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"If you think about the Manchester United football club they picked up in 2004, it had the best stadium in the country, one of the best in Europe, it had the best training ground in this country, and probably one of the best in Europe.

"If you look at the club now, the stadium behind the scenes it is rusting and rotten. The training ground it's probably not even the top five in this country. The land around the ground is undeveloped, dormant and derelict while every other club seems to be developing the facilities and the fan experience."

The Red Devils reacted by planning upgrades at the end of last December and have been followed by their Premier League foes.

It was then when fans were given an "exciting" update on plans to modernise Old Trafford, along with an assurance that supporters will be consulted throughout the process.

"Meetings [with architectural and engineering comapnies] have produced exciting potential ideas, although it's important to note that we're still at an early stage and it's premature to talk about timetables," Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer, told a meeting of the club's Fans' Forum, via manutd.com.

Roche added that the club had an 'open mind' about the best approach for modernising the historic stadium, with no intention of moving to a new site.

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