Manchester United could be getting a new stadium in years to come, if reports from the British media are to be trusted. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly looking at a possibility of building a new home for the Red Devils, as there are big plans of potentially building a ‘Wembley of the North’.
The Daily Telegraph reported that there Ratcliffe’s plans for creation of a new stadium for Man United. After spending 114 years at Old Trafford, Ratcliffe’s ambitious plan is to build a stadium which could rival London’s Wembley.
In fact, there are two options mentioned for the stadium. One of them is the redevelopment of Old Trafford right where it is and that initial plan could cost at least £800 million, as there would be a lot of work necessary to be done in the same place. This option would definitely be tricky, considering the amount of work and the fact Premier League action would still need to be held at the same stadium while the redevelopment is in the works.
But the other option is the one fans are more talking about, because it is a bolder one. It is about moving new stadium just behind where Old Trafford currently sits and slightly rotating it to accomodate a big fan park that would be built. This new ground could cost between £1.5 billion and £2 billion, which is clearly a lot more than the redevelopment, but the new stadium would probably be able to generate more income than the redeveloped Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe has bigger plans than simply building a stadium – his team also wants to build a community town with sports, entertainment and other amenities that will boost the local economy and provide plenty of new job opportunities. It is an undeniable fact Man United need to improve on the current Old Trafford, whichever of the two options gets picked in the end.
There is enough evidence of United’s declining standards. Despite being the biggest club stadium in England, footage of the Old Trafford’s dilapidated sections has gone viral on the internet in recent years on numerous occasions. To make matters worse, the stadium was passed over to host Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland. The European Championship will be coming to Manchester, but it will be played at Etihad, which says a lot about a missed opportunity and just how times have changed.
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