Manchester United reveals plans for new 100,000-seater stadium

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Manchester United has announced plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium as the “centrepiece” of a major regeneration project, as minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe presses on with his efforts to overhaul the club from top to bottom.

The new ground, designed by architects at Foster + Partners, would be the biggest stadium in the UK and among the largest in the world. It would be built on ground adjacent to the team’s current 74,000-seater Old Trafford stadium, which would be demolished once the venue is complete.

The designs feature a canopy that will collect rain water and solar energy, and will be suspended by three 200-metre spires — a nod to the trident-wielding red devil on the United club crest — that will be visible from 40km away.

Speaking in London at the unveiling of the concept, Ratcliffe promised the “most iconic, most recognisable stadium in the world”, and compared it with the Eiffel Tower in its potential to attract visitors from around the world.

The modular construction plan involves building large sections of the stadium off-site — potentially overseas — which would then be floated up the canal. Architect Sir Norman Foster said the process could cut overall construction time in half to about five years.

Industry experts said building a new stadium was likely to cost upwards of £2bn. Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, said it was too early to speculate on exactly how the build would be funded. “Right now it’s still very early days. We’ll be looking at all the options,” he said.

United said the regeneration of the Trafford area to the south-west of Manchester city centre could deliver 17,000 new homes, and had the potential to create 92,000 jobs.

On timing, Ratcliffe said it would now depend on “how quickly the government gets going with its regeneration programme” for the surrounding area.

The demolition will be emotional for fans. Sir Bobby Charlton, winner of the 1966 World Cup with England, once called Old Trafford the Theatre of Dreams. It has also been known as home to the Busby Babes and Fergie’s Fledglings, dominant teams under the club’s two most successful managers Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Old Trafford, United’s home for more than 100 years, is one of the most famous stadiums in world football but the last major works were nearly 20 years ago in 2006, when United increased capacity by several thousand seats.

Rival clubs have more recently invested in new facilities, such as Real Madrid’s revamped Santiago Bernabéu and Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in London. Ratcliffe said Old Trafford had “served us brilliantly”, but had “fallen behind the best arenas in world sport”.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Manchester United could, and indeed should, have the best football stadium in the world.”

Ratcliffe, who acquired a 29 per cent stake in United last year, has been on an aggressive push to cut costs, in order to stem years of losses and create budget to invest in players.

Hundreds of staff have been made redundant, while many employee perks — such as free lunches and travel to matches — have been removed.

Concession tickets for children and pensioners have also been dropped, prompting protests from fans.

On the pitch the men’s team has been struggling, and currently sits 14th in the Premier League table, while financial losses have been mounting. The decision to replace the former first team manager Erik ten Hag late last year will cost the club £21mn.