Stadium boost for Arsenal

Arsenal are expecting to confirm this week that a major obstacle to the £260million they need to fund their new stadium at Ashburton Grove has been lifted.

Compulsory purchase orders on five businesses at the site are almost complete and once these have been confirmed the various banks, who are preparing to back the £450m project, will be closer to releasing the money.

Arsenal are getting perilously close to their deadline of December 31 to have the money in place. Beyond that date the club had said they would consider scrapping the project, despite spending nearly £100m on it already.

Without the purchase orders being granted, the banks were reluctant to give the funding go-ahead for the project.

Ashburton Grove was put on hold earlier this year after the club failed to secure the money.