Man Utd presented with £1bn Old Trafford expansion plans
By Tom Gott
Manchester United have received a number of proposals for the expansion of Old Trafford, including a move to an all-new stadium, but no decisions will be made before the Glazer family have agreed to sell the club.
United have been keen to modernise their stadium and training facilities for a while now - the lack of progress made behind the scenes was one of many complaints from Cristiano Ronaldo in his famous interview with Piers Morgan.
Architects have been asked for their input but, since then, the Glazers have confirmed their interest in selling United and so the Daily Mail state that all expansion plans have been put on hold.
No decisions will be made until there is certainty about who will be leading United in future, but once the boardroom is settled again, there will be a number of proposals on the table for the expansion of the stadium.
Upgrading Old Trafford, and all the complications that come with working on the current stadium, could see costs rise up to the £1bn mark. Such proposals would see a capacity of around 74,000 as well as significant improvements to the hospitality facilities.
Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey, Toby Cudworth and Tom Gott in the latest episode of Talking Transfers. This week they discuss Chelsea’s hectic transfer strategy, Man Utd’s pursuit of Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, Leandro Trossard’s Brighton future and more. Available on all audio platforms.
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
Another extreme option would see United build an entirely new stadium, with one plan even including the demolition of Old Trafford to allow construction to begin on the same land.
United could also opt to build a new stadium away from Old Trafford, where they would remain until the new ground is built. Such a move is estimated to cost around £2bn.
The proposals will be on the table during the Glazers' negotiations when it comes to selling United, with new owners likely to be keen to modernise the club's playing facilities after what is expected to be the most expensive sale in sports history.
The Raine Group, who were in charge of Chelsea's sale to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital last year, have been instructed to look for buyers for United.