Manchester United is planning to construct a new 100,000-seat stadium to replace Old Trafford and their announcement is expected by the end of the year. This project, which is estimated to cost £2 billion, could be completed by 2030 and will surpass Wembley as the largest stadium in the country, second only to Barcelona’s renovated Nou Camp with a capacity of 105,000.
The decision to either rebuild or redevelop Old Trafford is still pending, but it has been evident for some time that the co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe shares the vision of demolishing the 114-year-old stadium and building a modern replacement on the adjacent land. However, the club cannot finance this project on their own, even with the support of Ratcliffe and majority owners, the Glazer family.
The possibility of selling naming rights is being considered, but United has assured that fans will be involved in this process. The club is exploring options for public-private funding for the new stadium and the redevelopment of the surrounding area, known as the Stadium District, which is owned by the club.
United has surveyed 30,000 fans to gather their opinions, and the results show a split decision. Ratcliffe is pushing for a decision by the end of the year, and the Old Trafford taskforce, led by Lord Coe, has met four times to discuss the construction of a new stadium. The club recognizes the importance of maintaining Old Trafford’s status as the biggest club ground in the country and overshadowing the national stadium, Wembley, to become known as the ‘Wembley of the North’.
The financial benefits of a new stadium outweigh the cost of improving the existing one, which is estimated to be around £1.1 billion. Furthermore, this will allow the team to continue playing at Old Trafford while the new stadium is being built next door, minimizing the inconvenience for fans and ensuring that United can continue to generate revenue from sold-out crowds of 75,000.
The taskforce has also discussed the design of the new stadium, with former United defender Gary Neville being particularly vocal about preserving the essence of the current stadium and paying homage to Manchester’s industrial heritage.
These discussions were brought to light after United’s recent game against Arsenal at the impressive SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles during their summer tour of the US. The £2.3 billion stadium was funded by Arsenal and LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who invested an additional £2 billion to develop the surrounding Hollywood Park area. The stadium’s roof is a massive LED screen, visible to planes landing at nearby LAX airport, making it a prime advertising opportunity. The entire project took six years, from initial meetings to completion in 2020.
United has been in talks with the developers of SoFi, as well as visiting Wembley and Tottenham’s new stadium. Chief Operating Officer Collette Roche also visited the Bernabeu earlier this year to gather information about Real Madrid’s redevelopment project.
However, United does not want the new Old Trafford to have a futuristic look. The club has appointed Populous, the designers of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to create plans for the new Old Trafford. If funding is not available, United may have to reconsider and opt for the second option of redeveloping the current stadium. This could result in a significant reduction in capacity by up to 35,000, or even mean that United cannot play at Old Trafford at all.
In such a scenario, the club has no interest in sharing a ground with Manchester City, Liverpool, or Everton. The project may have to be completed in stages and over a longer period, and there is also the challenge of having to rebuild the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand around a railway line that runs behind it.
