Arsenal are shortly expected to announce annual figures showing new record profits - and that they have paid off all the debts on their Highbury Square development six months early. That means the club can expect a £30million windfall from selling off around 90 apartments, while the cost of paying off the Emirates Stadium development is comfortably covered by income.
A year ago, Arsenal announced pre-tax profits had risen 24% to £45.5million.
Another increase for the year ending June 2010 is expected courtesy of property sales and around a £4million rise in Premier League income to £51.7million and a similar increase in Champions League income to £27.3million.
It is the paying off of the Highbury Square loans that will have delighted the Arsenal hierarchy most however. They were initially forced to extend the bank repayment deadline of April this year to December after the property slump first hit.
Since then the development has prospered and the debt - which once totalled £133million - has now been repaid in full.
That means Arsenal's only debt outstanding is for the Emirates Stadium, which is around the £220-£230million mark costing around £16million a year in interest and to be paid off by 2031.
