Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium is one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world, but its future as home to the popular football club is not guaranteed forever.
With the need for a significant overhaul, rather than a simple renovation, the possibility of building a new stadium is being considered.
That’s the view expressed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in an interview with the Manchester United website, following the formal approval of his acquisition of 27.7 per cent of the club’s shares on Tuesday.
“There are two fundamental issues that we have to resolve. One has to do with performance on the pitch, which is always a priority at Manchester United. The other big issue is the state of the stadium. It’s an impressive stadium, the biggest in the Premier League and the second biggest in England after Wembley, but it’s not up to the standard you expect from Manchester United. Maybe this was the standard 20 years ago, but now it’s fallen behind”, says Jim Ratcliffe.
Jim Ratcliffe: "We're thinking about Carrington, but I think it's secondary to Old Trafford. Carrington is pretty impressive. I like Carrington. There are things to improve, but I don't think it's the scale of what the stadium needs." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Ij4jLT18NS
— Manchester United News (@MUFCfaithfuls) February 21, 2024
Old Trafford has been Manchester United’s home for 114 years, and the stadium has been constantly expanded. With a capacity of almost 75,000 spectators.
“We need to look to the future of the stadium and its remodelling. There are two ways to go. We can renovate the existing stadium or build a completely new stadium. We’re thinking about that at the moment” says the businessman.
The much criticised Glazer family remains Manchester United’s largest shareholder.
