Manchester United announced on Tuesday plans to construct a new stadium costing two billion pounds ($2.59 billion) with a capacity of 100,000 seats, set to be the largest in Britain and located next to the existing Old Trafford.
The team projects the stadium’s completion within the next five years.
“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey toward the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the center of a regenerated Old Trafford,” said Jim Ratcliffe, United’s co-owner, in a statement.
Since becoming a minority owner in February of last year, the British billionaire has shared his vision for a modern ‘Wembley of the north.’ The club has been weighing the options of either renovating the existing stadium, home since 1910, or constructing a new one.
In September, United engaged Foster + Partners to develop a masterplan aimed at revitalizing the Old Trafford area.
On Tuesday morning in London, the club unveiled architectural plans for the new stadium, featuring an innovative umbrella design.
“This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today,” declared Norman Foster, executive chairman of Foster + Partners. “It all starts with enhancing the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar.”
“The stadium is designed with a vast umbrella that not only harvests energy and rainwater but also shelters a new public plaza twice the size of Trafalgar Square,” Foster explained.
Foster expressed optimism about speeding up the construction by utilizing the regional canal network.
“Normally, building a stadium would take 10 years,” he said. “We plan to halve that time to five years.”
“How do we do that? By prefabrication and by using the network of the Manchester Ship Canal, bringing it back to life and shipping in components—160 of them…”
The stadium is part of a broader regeneration plan for the Old Trafford area, recently endorsed by British finance minister Rachel Reeves.
The club anticipates that the project will generate approximately 92,000 new jobs and result in the construction of 17,000 homes, contributing an additional 7.3 billion pounds annually to the UK economy.
Since 2006, Old Trafford has not seen significant redevelopment, and recent years have brought increasing criticism due to issues like a leaky roof and rodent sightings.
Despite being the largest club stadium in England, Old Trafford has been outpaced by venues like Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which host additional events and concerts to boost revenue.
This strategy is similar to Everton’s upcoming move from Goodison Park to a new facility at Bramley-Moore Dock at the end of the season.
Manchester City, a fierce rival, moved into the Etihad Stadium in 2003 and is currently expanding its capacity to over 60,000.
Old Trafford, once affectionately known as the “Theatre of Dreams,” has recently become a source of frustration, with the team finishing eighth last season and currently ranking 14th in the Premier League.
Ahead of United’s recent draw with Arsenal, thousands of black-clad fans marched to the stadium to protest against the majority owners, the American Glazer family.
The club’s total debt, including 300 million pounds in outstanding transfer fees, exceeds 1 billion pounds. A new round of layoffs is expected to result in up to 200 job losses, following 250 departures last year.
The new stadium will boast a seating capacity of 104,000, making it the second largest in Europe after Barcelona’s Camp Nou (105,000) and surpassing the 90,000-seat Wembley.
The stadium’s tallest mast will reach 200 meters, towering over Manchester’s tallest building, the Beetham Tower, at 169 meters. Wembley’s arch stands at 135 meters.
The stadium will be visible for up to 37.4 kilometers away, covering areas like the nearby Peak District, parts of Cheshire, and the outskirts of Liverpool under optimal conditions.
