Manchester United have been presented with a variety of stadium plans including an upgrade for Old Trafford and the building of a new home.
However, any club decision is on hold due to United’s uncertain ownership situation. The Glazer family, who bought United for £790million back in 2005, put the Old Trafford club on the market in November. Mirror Football understands the family is looking for as much as £8billion to sell - a fee that eclipses the £4.2bn Todd Boehly paid for Chelsea.
Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is a United fan, has been linked with an offer and has previously received calls from the club’s fanbase and ex-United director Michael Knighton to get involved in a takeover, but he poured cold water on the suggestion earlier this year.
Last month, it emerged that the Glazer family did not take dividend payments from United for the first time in six years, partly due to the club’s huge transfer spend this summer. Any major decisions on the club’s future, including permanent transfers, will be held up until the club’s future is clarified.
One of the main bones of contention from United’s fanbase in recent years has been the lack of investment in their Old Trafford home, which many believe has now become outdated and requires a major revamp to bring it into line with modern, elite stadiums across Europe.
United have two main options for their future; an upgrade of Old Trafford – the club’s home for the past 112 years – or to build a new stadium, which would have a higher cost but would also bring other advantages including some financial opportunities.
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The club appointed consultants Legends International and Populous – the agency who managed Tottenham ’s new stadium – with a report in the Mail outlining how they have now returned their findings to the club with the two main options available.
The thoughts behind building a new stadium would be that United could continue playing at Old Trafford during the interim period and not lose out on any matchday income, although it is believed this could cost £2bn – which would be approximately double the price of a renovation to their current home.
While United are keen to increase their current 74,000 capacity, it is believed that modernising and increasing the size of the club's lucrative corporate hospitality facilities on matchdays are a cornerstone of their ambitions.
