Saturday 9 April 2016 09:13, UK
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes West Ham have experienced the equivalent of a lottery win in negotiating a move to their new stadium.
Wenger takes his side to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday for the final time ahead of West Ham's switch to the Olympic Stadium this summer.
The Frenchman oversaw Arsenal's move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium 10 years ago, a switch which tested the club's resources.
West Ham agreed a deal to move into the Olympic Stadium at a smaller cost, despite interest from Tottenham and Leyton Orient to use the facility.
Wenger refused to begrudge the deal negotiated by West Ham, which sees them carry little of the cost associated with the stadium, and likened it to the transaction to when Manchester City inherited the stadium built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
"They have taken this opportunity and taken it very well," Wenger said of West Ham.
"I say 'well done, you have won in the lottery, and you do not need to sweat like I did for long years, and fight for every pound'.
"So it's very well done, they have made a good deal, they have negotiated very well, it was a fight with Tottenham.
"For me, it is similar to the Man City situation. Man City got a new stadium for £20m, basically. I leave you that statement. Is it fair, is it not fair? It is legal."
Referring to Arsenal's move to their new home, which cost in the region of £400m to build, Wenger added: "I could say that for me the first six years were very difficult financially.
"Going into April, thinking if you are not in the Champions League you are in trouble. That has been absolutely super-difficult."
