Old Trafford could be bulldozed & rebuilt by Man Utd owners

Manchester United's owners are considering demolishing Old Trafford and rebuilding it as part of renovation plans for the stadium.

United's ground has been neglected for years under the Glazers, with the stadium falling behind other state-of-the-art facilities seen elsewhere in the Premier League.

As reported by The Telegraph, United are close to appointing partners for the biggest redevelopment project in the club's history. Prospective bidders have been asked to submit three different design proposals each.

One of the more ambitious options is a total re-haul of Old Trafford, which would see the stadium rival Wembley as England's largest football stadium. It is thought the capacity would move closer to 90,000 and feature a second, smaller ground for women's and academy matches.

However, if that move were to be signed off on, it would present United with the problem of where they play their home games. Tottenham played at Wembley while White Hart Lane was demolished and rebuilt, but it would not be logistical for United to travel down to London for home games. There is also not a large-scale venue in the north west that United could use in the meantime.

A ground-share proposal would mean a major financial hit for United's matchday revenue, which currently rakes in at least £4.25m for each home game.

Another option is an expansion of Old Trafford's South Stand, which would entail work over the top of an adjacent train line and take the capacity up to 80,000.

The report states 'nothing is off the table at this stage', though United would prefer a phased rebuild which would allow them to continue playing at Old Trafford at full capacity.

The potential renovation also involves a rethink on the club's existing corporate hospitalist structure, which now trails the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.

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