Manchester United have revealed ambitious plans to construct a state-of-the-art, 100,000-capacity stadium near Old Trafford, a move that will see their historic home eventually demolished.
The £2bn project, envisioned as “the world’s greatest football stadium,” is expected to be completed within five years, according to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Following extensive deliberations on whether to renovate Old Trafford or build an entirely new venue, the club has opted for a fresh start.
While the construction is underway, United will continue to play at Old Trafford, which has been their home since 1910.
However, club officials have ruled out converting the current stadium into a venue for the women’s and youth teams, citing financial impracticality.
The project will be designed by Foster and Partners, the renowned architects behind Wembley Stadium and Qatar’s Lusail Stadium.
Their blueprint includes an umbrella-style structure and a vast public plaza twice the size of Trafalgar Square. A striking feature of the design is “the trident” – three towering masts standing 200 meters high, visible from as far as 25 miles away.
Despite carrying £1bn in debt, Manchester United has yet to outline a concrete financing plan for the stadium.
However, club CEO Omar Berrada remains optimistic, calling it “a very attractive investment opportunity” and expressing confidence in securing the necessary funding.
Beyond the stadium itself, the initiative is part of a broader transformation of the Old Trafford area, billed as the UK’s most significant regeneration effort since the London 2012 Olympics.
With government support already pledged by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the project aims to generate 92,000 new jobs, construct 17,000 homes, and attract an additional 1.8 million visitors annually, injecting an estimated £7.3bn into the UK economy each year.
“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest stadium,” said Ratcliffe. “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years but it has fallen behind the arenas in world sport. I think we may well finish up with the most iconic football stadium in the world.”
A definitive timeline for construction remains uncertain, as it hinges on the pace of the government’s wider regeneration efforts.
However, Ratcliffe believes progress will be swift: “It depends how quickly the Government gets going with the regeneration programme. I think they want to get going quite quickly.”
The stadium’s construction will involve pre-fabricated components shipped in 160 sections via the Manchester Ship Canal, streamlining the process.
While Old Trafford, England’s largest club ground with a 74,140-seat capacity, has long been a footballing landmark, it has faced increasing criticism due to aging infrastructure, including roof leaks in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. The last major redevelopment of the stadium took place in 2006.
As part of their research, United consulted experts involved in recent large-scale stadium projects, such as Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu redevelopment.
They also engaged with fans and local residents, concluding that a new stadium was preferable to an expensive £1.5bn refurbishment of Old Trafford.
Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson backed the move, stating: “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in.
Old Trafford holds so many memories for me personally but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where history can be made.”
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also welcomed the vision, emphasizing the potential for a lasting impact.
“If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012,” he said. “Manchester United could, and indeed should, have the best football stadium in the world. To me, that means a stadium that is true to the traditions of the club, affordable to all, with nobody priced out.”
