Manchester United has announced an ambitious plan to build a new £2 billion stadium near Old Trafford, capable of accommodating 100,000 spectators. This plan, aimed at creating the "world's best football stadium," has attracted widespread attention. However, numerous questions remain regarding the construction timeline, funding sources, design方案, and the future of the existing stadium.
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03-15, 2025Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stated his desire to build the "world's best football stadium." The club estimates the construction period for the new stadium to be approximately five years. Typically, projects of this scale can take around ten years to complete. However, the club believes that by fully utilizing the Manchester Ship Canal, the construction time can be halved.
Ratcliffe explained, "Normally, building a 100,000-seater stadium from scratch and needing to regenerate the surrounding area takes ten years. But if we can work with the government, I think we can cut that down to five years." The club plans to use a modular construction method, with most components prefabricated off-site and then transported to Old Trafford via the Manchester Ship Canal. Ratcliffe stated that this approach can significantly speed up construction.
Currently, the groundbreaking date for the new stadium has not been determined. Ratcliffe stated that the project's progress depends on the government's speed in launching the area's redevelopment project. He believes the government wants to start the project as soon as possible to see progress during this parliamentary term. Manchester United's Chief Operating Officer, Collette Roche, stated that the club will work closely with relevant authorities to ensure the project proceeds "as smoothly and quickly as possible." She also mentioned that the club is considering establishing a mayoral development corporation to expedite the project's approval process.
As for the future of Old Trafford, it remains unclear. Architect Foster + Partners had suggested demolishing Old Trafford, and the existing stadium is absent from the new renderings. Considering the proximity of the new stadium to the existing one, demolition is highly likely. Ratcliffe said, "By building next to the existing ground, we will be able to retain the essence of Old Trafford." There had been suggestions to convert the existing stadium into a venue for Manchester United's women's team and youth teams, but Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada stated that the club might reconsider the plan, though it is unlikely.
Manchester United's goal is for the women's team to also play at the new stadium. Berrada stated that the club hopes to expand the women's team's fan base so they can play at the main venue, and the stadium's capacity can be adjusted based on different matches or events. He also added that the club is researching pitch technology to ensure both the men's and women's teams have a field in "optimal condition." Roche added, "The benefit of having this type of stadium is that it can provide creativity for different venues. There is technology now that allows you to feel a smaller, more atmospheric stadium. This could benefit the women's team because they have a smaller audience – that's exactly what we're considering."
Manchester United stated that the new stadium would cost approximately £2 billion. Berrada told BBC Sport editor Dan Roan: "We are anticipating a cost of around £2 billion." The club has not yet announced the stadium's financing plan. Several options are currently available, such as loans, private investment, or investment from co-owner Ratcliffe. However, since Ratcliffe invested in the club, cost-cutting measures have been implemented, while the plan to build a new stadium is also underway.
Berrada said: "We are now working to put ourselves in the best possible financial position to be able to finance the stadium and other infrastructure projects. Our goal is to become the most profitable club within three years. We believe that this will put us in the best financial position to make this investment and work with private investors who are willing to partner with us." Currently, the club's debt exceeds £1 billion. However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire stated that the club has more borrowing capacity.
Maguire told BBC Sport: "The good news for Manchester United is that, despite the existing high levels of debt, the club still has the capacity to borrow significant amounts of money. If the club does borrow the majority of the estimated £2 billion cost of the new stadium, it is likely to be in the form of some kind of interest-only loan. Tottenham Hotspur took a similar approach when they built their new stadium in London a few years ago, and they negotiated very low interest rates. These loans led to Tottenham Hotspur's interest costs increasing from £12 million in their last season at White Hart Lane in 2016-17 to £46 million in 2022-23. Over the same period, matchday revenue increased by £72 million, and commercial revenue increased by £155 million. The increase in commercial revenue is because the club has a larger, multi-purpose stadium that is used to host countless football and non-football events, such as NFL, concerts, and boxing matches."
Ratcliffe said: "Financing is not an issue, I think it's completely financeable. But we'd rather talk about the details in the future. I think it's financeable." Ratcliffe stated that public funds would not be used to build the stadium, but the project would not be possible without a government-funded broader redevelopment project. "We can't afford to regenerate the south of Manchester. That's too big a bill for the club," he said. "We don't need the government to provide any money for the stadium, but this has to be the basis for the regeneration."
Berrada stated that building a new stadium would not affect Manchester United's ability to buy new players. He said: "We don't want to limit our ability to invest in the team so that we continue to be competitive while building a new stadium. There are many ways to solve this problem. One of the things we are considering is shortening the construction time. At the same time, by restoring our financial situation and achieving profitability, we believe we can be very competitive. The biggest advantage of this club is that it has the largest fan base in the world, so it has the ability to become the number one revenue-generating club." Roche added: "Our primary goal is to have our team win and for the men's team to consistently compete for all titles. We will not deviate from this goal."
The new stadium will be built next to Old Trafford, which Ratcliffe hopes will "retain the essence of their existing home." The new stadium will be part of a broader redevelopment of the Old Trafford area. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has already given the government's support to the plan. Manchester United stated that the project has the potential to create 92,000 new jobs, bring an additional 1.8 million tourists to the area each year, and add £7.3 billion in value to the UK economy annually.
Old Trafford currently has a capacity of 74,310, so the new stadium will accommodate over 25,000 new spectators. How will Manchester United fill it? Who will they be? Maguire said: "If those Manchester United fans on the season ticket waiting list think that the increase in stadium capacity will lead to more season tickets being available, they may be disappointed. Manchester United has a huge global fan base who are willing to pay higher prices than those who want to have a coveted season ticket. In recent years, Liverpool has increased the capacity of Anfield from 45,000 to over 61,000, because owner Fenway Sports Group has made most of the additional tickets available to fans in the membership program, rather than those who want to have a coveted season ticket."
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) said in a statement that fans "remain anxious" about the plans and are concerned that ticket prices will rise, forcing local fans out. "We look forward to further consultation with fans to discuss these vital issues. If they can build a stadium as stunning as the plans suggest, without damaging the atmosphere, raising ticket prices, and undermining investment elsewhere, it will be very exciting. But until the questions are answered, our optimism about making Old Trafford the biggest and best again will be tempered by caution about the potential consequences for fans."
Foster + Partners, the architectural firm responsible for the project's design, stated that the new stadium will feature an umbrella-like design and a new public square, "twice the size of Trafalgar Square." The design will feature three masts known as "tridents," which the architects say will be 200 meters high and visible from 25 miles away. Architect Norman Foster said: "When you leave the stadium, it's not a fortress surrounded by an ocean of cars. It's open, it's surrounded by an umbrella that collects solar energy, collects rainwater, but it's protective, it surrounds what is arguably the largest public space. Then there are the three masts, the tridents, visible from 40 kilometers away, 200 meters high. So, this will become a global destination. Then we rebuild Old Trafford station, which will become the fulcrum. The processional route to the stadium, welcome to the heart of a new sports-led community. It's walkable, it's well-served by public transport. It's endowed by nature. It learns from the past, it creates streets, it's a mixed-use small city."
