English Premier League giants Arsenal are looking into ways to have virtual fans at their grounds when the top-flight football returns behind closed doors from June 17 after a gap of more than three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arsenal are reportedly looking into “multiple” options to have fans at the Emirates Stadium and one of them could be having virtual fans via Zoom. “We’re exploring multiple ways to bring fans into the stadium ‘virtually’,” a spokesman said as quoted by Goal.com.

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Danish side Aarhus resorted to the option during their Superliga clash against Randers. Fans were shown through screens that were placed around the stadium and their shouts and cheers were broadcast through the PA system.

Though the Gunners insisted that they did not speak directly to anyone at Aarhus about their experience, a recent survey conducted by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust found only 46 out of 100 fans opting for virtual presence via Zoom.

The fans made covering the empty seats with banners and signs the most popular option with a vote of 65. Online fan hang-outs was the second most popular option with a score of 51, while only 24 out of 100 people chose to have computer-generated fans at the grounds.

A BBC report on Wednesday stated that the Premier League officials are also contemplating options to have fans present in some ways at the grounds and a decision might be taken when they meet with all the 20 clubs on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the clubs will also confirm the fixture lists of the rebooted season apart from deciding the kick-off times and broadcast plans in the meeting.

Matchday operations and return-to-play protocols will also be presented, while the clubs may also agree to the Premier League’s direction of allowing a maximum of 300 people inside the venue during a match.

The meeting will also see the Premier League bosses discuss the various possibilities in case the season had to be suspended due to a second wave of the coronavirus in England. Should the relegation system be scrapped in such a scenario is likely to be a topic.