The club has paid an undisclosed sum for the land, just 350m from Old Trafford, to London-based logistics firm Indurent, which is owned by US investment giant Blackstone.
The AJ100 top-ranked practice’s ambitious plans require a significant area to the west of the original ground and Manchester United had been hoping to purchase a plot from its neighbour, freight company Freightliner. However, talks with Freightliner stalled and the club has instead agreed a deal for a different site to the north-west of Old Trafford, between Wharfside Way, Europa Way and John Gilbert Way.
Today’s move comes around 15 months since Foster + Partners first revealed images for the proposed new 100,000-capacity stadium, which will feature a huge ‘umbrella’ roof.
Further plans for the new arena and a consultation period are due to be announced on 9 July, it was announced today.
Collette Roche, chief executive of Manchester United’s New Stadium Development, said today (22 June) the land acquisition was a ‘significant milestone’.
She added: ‘Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are so important to our fans.
‘We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of our thinking.’
The club said it would ‘engage directly with businesses impacted by the plans to support them through the transition period’.
The wider 370-acre regeneration project is expected to deliver around 15,000 new homes.
It remains unclear what will happen to Old Trafford, which has been Manchester United FC’s home for the past 115 years.
In 2024, club officials recommended building an all-new stadium at a cost of around £2 billion, rather than upgrading the existing structure. It concluded that refurbishment would cost between £1 billion and £1.2 billion and reduce stadium capacity while works took place.
Dubbed ‘The Wembley of the North’, the new stadium plans include a new public plaza which is reportedly ‘twice the size of Trafalgar Square’ and three 200m-high masts – described as ‘the trident’ – to support the lightweight roof.
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