MANCHESTER UNITED fans could be waiting SEVEN YEARS for a new home to replace Old Trafford.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to move the Red Devils into a new 100,000-seater, £2billion home.
Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is desperate to get started on Old Trafford’s redevelopment[/caption]
An AI impression of the new project, which could see United build a 100,000-seater stadium[/caption]
The plans will see a huge overhaul of the area around Old Trafford[/caption]
The plans recently received government backing and will see a transformation to the area around the Theatre of Dreams.
It will lead to new housing, commercial and public spaces, as well as the creation of thousands of jobs.
Ratcliffe is eager to get spades in the ground on the mammoth redevelopment as soon as possible.
The 72-year-old wants to get work underway by the end of 2025, with completion by 2030.
But according to building experts, cited by The Mail, “it could be 2032 before the stadium could be fully rebuilt or redeveloped.”
Seven years is seen as a more accurate target by architects who are wary of planning permission to build in the area.
United are yet to decide whether to develop Old Trafford or commence with an entirely new build.
It’s reported that a final decision on the stadium’s future will be made before the end of the season.
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A redevelopment of the iconic ground would house just 87,000 fans, a task force recently discovered.
The team – which includes ex-United star Gary Neville, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Lord Sebastian Coe – conducted a feasibility study into whether a new stadium should be built.
Ratcliffe has pushed for an ambitious “Wembley of the North” project.
He envisages a completely new 100,000 arena which would serve as the focal point of a completely renovated site.
The entire project is estimated to cost around £2billion and was described by Olympics hero Coe as “one of the biggest regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK”.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham added: “[This is] the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012.
“It will be a key part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth across Greater Manchester.
“We look forward to working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity for our rail network and unlock massive regeneration potential – delivering benefits across the whole of the North.”
On the field, it’s been another dismal season for United.
They currently sit 13th in the Premier League, with only 8 wins from 24 games.
The Red Devils appear set for a huge summer reset under Ruben Amorim, with almost every member of the squad available for sale.
Ratcliffe and Ineos have cut costs around the club throughout the past year, including slashing budgets for non-playing staff.
Even legendary Sir Alex Ferguson was not safe, with the Scot removed from his multi-million-pound role as a club ambassador in October.
