New Delhi: Manchester United intends to submit plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium by the end of the year. Club sources estimate that it would cost £2bn-plus and be completed in about six years.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has asked to give the final proposal by December. That would be built next to Old Trafford, enabling use of the current location while the new one is being built. The alternative is to rebuild Old Trafford, but this would result in a significant decrease in revenue since United would have to play at a different stadium. At the same time, work is being done, or portions of the arena must be closed.
Ratcliffe wants United to have the largest stadium in the United Kingdom, and the club is hopeful that it can construct one that can accommodate 100,000 spectators in addition to at least 90,000. Old Trafford’s current capacity is 75,000.
The new stadium would be on the same footprint as United, which is mindful of retaining the area’s heritage. High-ranking officials prefer a new stadium to have a Mancunian atmosphere, and Ratcliffe has emphasised the area around Trafford Park’s links to the Industrial Revolution.
United have surveyed around 30,000 fans and it is understood they were divided 50-50 between those in favour of a new building and redevelopment of Old Trafford. United chief operating officer Colette Roche is leading the project. As part of the project, she has visited several of the world’s leading stadiums and consulted owners on the venue’s genesis.
She travelled to Madrid and Barcelona on fact-finding missions to gauge the processes they went through to enhance Bernabeu and Camp Nou. Madrid officials advised United to proceed with a new-build option rather than redeveloping Old Trafford. The reconfiguration of Santiago Bernabeu started in 2019 and, as the officials stated, has cost £2.4bn.
The Manchester Evening News has also previously reported that redeveloping Old Trafford would be more time-consuming and similar to building a new stadium.
United are considering rebuilding the stadium without having to play elsewhere. They consulted the officials at Tottenham, and they continued to play at White Hart Lane while their new stadium was under construction until they temporarily relocated to Wembley in 2017. The stadium of Tottenham Hotspur was opened in 2019.
Manchester United would prefer to knock down the present stadium and build a new one with an expansive fan park. The United staff have been wowed by the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where they played their friendly against Arsenal last Saturday. The SoFi stadium opened in 2020 and it has a capacity of 70,240 that can rise to 100,240. The Super Bowl in 2022 was hosted here and even the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games will take place in 2028.
The SoFi stadium is a major concert venue that has hosted Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Ed Sheeran. It features a retail park, a YouTube theatre, and residential apartments. United have held numerous meetings with the SoFi stadium developers to learn from their project and how best to use the Old Trafford footprint.
Manchester United planning a colossal £2bn stadium. Will Old Trafford be demolished as Ratcliff pushes for a new 1000,000-capacity stadium? Check out. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
