Manchester City have announced plans to expand the Etihad Stadium's capacity to host around 60,000 spectators.
The Premier League champions want to add at least an extra 5000 seats in order to become the division's third biggest stadium, and qualify to host a Champions League final in future by reaching UEFA's strict capacity quota.
City's stadium already holds over 55,000 seats, but the club have had planning permission to carry out the work since adding an extra tier to their South Stand in 2015, though the project is now thought to have shot up the to-do list.
Whilst City have been no strangers to splashing the cash in big deals for players in recent years, the work is set to prove expensive - especially if they intend to add a hotel to the site.
There is no set time-frame in which the work needs to be completed, and with construction of the Co-op Live Arena next door yet ongoing, City are keen to wait until the culmination of that project, set for December 2023.
Several options have been suggested for how to increase the capacity, such as joining together the two ends behind both goals, as well as combining tiers in the stadium to create space for 5,000 or so extra spectators.
Another intention is to increase the number of corporate facilities at the stadium, and the club are thought to be exploring methods of doing so.
Despite City's stature in the English game, the Etihad stadium is yet to be considered on a par with the likes of Anfield and Old Trafford, and even the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.
But the addition of the new music venue nearby and possibly a hotel will surely turn the stadium into more of a venue, with several clubs looking to increase revenue potential by opening their doors to events other than football.
Tottenham Hotspur have notably been active in this pursuit, staging NFL games every season, while West Ham's London Stadium has also played host to baseball matches in the MLB and concerts for the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
The reigning Premier League champions have regularly been made the subject of jokes from other fans, suggesting that the Etihad is often left at less than full capacity for City games.
However, the club saw season ticket sales rise to 36,500 this season, with the Etihad set to operate at 99% capacity over the coming campaign, largely due to Pep Guardiola's unprecedented success wining four league titles in six years.
