Manchester United ‘favouring’ new 100,000-capacity stadium

Manchester United has set its sights on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium next to Old Trafford instead of redeveloping the current venue, according to several reports.

A final decision is expected to be made by the end of the year, with The Athletic reporting that a new stadium would cost the Premier League club more than £2bn (€2.4bn/$2.6bn) and take six years to complete. The report added that the club is currently “focusing attentions” on a new stadium.

Earlier this year, United created the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force to explore options for the redevelopment of the stadium. The task force includes World Athletics president and London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and former United player Gary Neville.

United shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously set out his vision for a 100,000-capacity stadium for the club that would rival the revamped Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and Spotify Camp Nou. Ratcliffe completed a deal for a minority stake in United back in February and is overseeing the club’s football operations.

In May, Ratcliffe gave his backing to the case for public money to help fund the club’s ‘Wembley of the North’ plan. United has stressed the potential social and economic benefits the project would have on the local region.

United is said to prefer building a new stadium on land adjacent to Old Trafford as it would allow the club to continue playing at its current home while the project is carried out. A rebuild of Old Trafford would result in a major drop in revenue as the stadium would need to operate at a reduced capacity during renovation.

BBC Sport, citing club sources, has reported that the United task force has met four times to discuss stadium plans. United’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche, is said to have held talks with people involved with developing Optus Stadium, SoFi Stadium and the renovated Bernabéu.

Ratcliffe reportedly wants a detailed recommendation to be made by the end of the year, along with the establishment of a sub-task force to discuss the plans with fans.

In April 2022, United appointed Legends International and Populous to lead a team tasked with creating a masterplan for the redevelopment of Old Trafford.