PREMIER LEAGUE
Old Trafford could be demolished to make way for a new stadium
The Telegraph reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose purchase of 25% of Manchester United was announced on Christmas Eve, has been advised to rebuild the iconic stadium.
Erik ten Hag’s continuity as manager at Manchester United will not be the only important decision that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to make upon his arrival as the club’s new owner. The Premier League will take between six and eight weeks to ratify the purchase of a 25% stake in the club by the owner of INEOS, in exchange for 1.3 billion pounds. The British magnate promises to turn the institution upside down - and that could include a major facelift of their historic Old Trafford stadium - the club’s home for over a century.
“Manchester United’s 113-year-old home is reaching the end of its natural life and the club could either renovate it or knock it down to build a new £2 billion stadium,” The Telegraph exclusively reports. The newspaper adds that it is “the architects in charge of the Manchester United remodeling project” who have urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers “to demolish the outdated Old Trafford and build a ‘really innovative and exciting’ new stadium.” The owner of INEOS has promised an investment of £245 million (more than 280 million euros) to improve the infrastructure of Old Trafford and the Carrington training cpmplex.
Remodeling the Theatre of Dreams is a priority which the Glazers have not fully undertaken. Instead, they have been waiting for a new investor to enter the club. As said media also points out, “The stadium plans have been stalled for 18 months since the launch of a survey in which the opinion of fans was requested.” At the moment, the club is considering three options: a small remodeling project, the extension of the south stand over the adjacent railway line and the complete remodeling of the current stadium, or the creation of a completely new stadium.
Cristiano notices decline at United
As Cristiano Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan, before concluding his second stage at the club, “When I arrived, I thought everything would be different. The technology, the infrastructure... Everything. It surprised me in a bad way. I saw that everything remained the same...”
Several English clubs have either left or are in the process of leaving their historic homes to move to new and impressive new stadiums. From Tottenham, who moved from White Hart Lane to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to Everton, who recently announced days ago that 2024-25 will be their last season at Goodison as they prepare to move into new premises at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Now, Manchester United and Old Trafford are heading towards the same destination.