Man Utd have been in discussions to acquire land around Old Trafford to build a new 100,000 seater stadium.
Old Trafford
United are optimistic about acquiring the necessary land around Old Trafford.
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Manchester United are optimistic of agreeing a deal to acquire land around Old Trafford for the new stadium project.
In March, United unveiled ambitious plans for a state-of-the-art 100,000-seater stadium at an event in London and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the project could be completed by 2030.
However, the rail yard surrounding Old Trafford is owned by Freightliner. The land is crucial to plans for a 100,000-seater stadium and Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, previously suggested compulsory purchase powers could be used to acquire the space if a deal could not be agreed.
In the summer, reports claimed Freightliner valued the land at £350million, although Burnham played down that figure, saying: “I think everyone should file that one away."
United and Freightliner have continued discussions and are making progress to reach an agreement, according to the latest fans' forum minutes, which were published on Wednesday.
A United spokesperson said: "While Manchester United owns a significant portion of land around Old Trafford, it is not all in a single, continuous block.
"To accommodate the scale of the proposed new stadium – including a canopy – and to avoid disruption to the existing stadium during construction, we are working to secure additional land.
"We’ve been engaged in constructive discussions with neighbouring landholders and are optimistic about reaching mutually agreeable terms in the coming months."
United added on the stadium design: "Early design work has been intentionally paused until we have greater clarity on land assembly and fan requirements. As with other aspects of the project, we encourage fans to treat speculative media reports with caution.
"We remain excited by the vision set out by Foster + Partners for a new stadium at the heart of a wider regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
"We always said this was a conceptual design, with more detailed architectural work to follow. While we remain keen to advance as quickly as possible, the timetable is subject to progress on land assembly and financing, which depends on key stakeholders working together."
United have conceded they cannot deliver their ambitious vision for Old Trafford alone, which has seen the club work closely with national and local government, as well as Trafford Council.
The club and city region are also said to be aligned with the aim of bringing significant fixtures at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035 to the stadium, including the final, as much of the regeneration of the area will have been completed.
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