Arsenal Assess New 'State-of-the-Art' Revamp at Training Ground

Arsenal are assessing plans for a major revamp of their London Colney training ground, which could include a brand-new facility for the men’s first team, according to Daily Mail Sport.

The report claims there is an acceptance within the club that the Sobha Realty Training Centre has fallen behind the facilities of some of their Big Six rivals. Work has already begun, with Arsenal refurbishing the first-team gym and treatment areas, while the longer-term aim is to build a new hub for the men’s squad that would rank among the best in Europe.

Few clubs have been hit harder by injuries in recent seasons than Arsenal, and that has continued into the new campaign. William Saliba has yet to play this season due to a back injury picked up at the World Cup, while Piero Hincapié and Martin Zubimendi were both hurt during a post-match warm-down last weekend. Christos Tzolis is also sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Several key players have spent long spells out. Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz all missed sustained periods last campaign. Mikel Arteta has rarely been able to call on his full squad, and even joked this week that the only guaranteed way to avoid injuries would be to stop training altogether.

The club have already made changes behind the scenes. A review of the squad’s fitness issues by Spanish physio Joaquín Acedo led to the departures of head doctor Zafar Iqbal and head of sports science Tom Allen earlier this year, with both since replaced. Upgrading the facilities where players recover and rehabilitate would be the next logical step, and rivals have already moved in that direction. Manchester United’s £50 million redevelopment of Carrington included new rehabilitation areas, sleep pods and an altitude-training room.

The revamp is also set to benefit Arsenal Women, who won the Champions League in 2025 and are set to play all of their Women's Super League clashes at The Emirates. The club have been granted planning permission for a temporary gym for the women’s team, who would move into the current men’s facilities if a new hub is built.

There were also plans for the academy. Arsenal reportedly considered building a small stadium at Colney for the under-21s and under-19s by putting stands around one of the pitches, but decided against applying for planning permission after informal talks with the council. With Hale End graduates such as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman breaking into the first team in recent seasons, the club’s youth set-up remains a key part of their long-term plans.

The Gunners have also strengthened their academy recruitmwent over the summer, with Elijah Upson arriving from Tottenham Hotspur, Habeeb Ogunneye and James Scanlon joining from Manchester United, and Igor Tyjon finally completing his long-awaited move from Blackburn Rovers.

The renewed focus on Colney comes after Arsenal decided earlier this month against expanding the Emirates Stadium, and in the same week the club informed staff of plans to cut around 60 off-field roles. Arteta said the aim was for the club to keep evolving and investing to achieve success.