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Pictures show Man Utd's new 100,000-seater stadium - but who will pay for it?

Manchester United have unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium.

The new £2bn arena would be the biggest in the UK and the "world's greatest" football ground, the club's co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe declared.

The Premier League club revealed on Tuesday that it plans to build the new structure in an area close to their current stadium of Old Trafford, which has been in use for 115 years.

The new stadium is part of a huge regeneration project, but Manchester United, who are £1bn in debt, have not yet said how they will pay for it.

What has been announced?

United announced on Tuesday that the new stadium will have a capacity for 100,000 fans and will replace Old Trafford.

It followed an extensive consultation process around whether to redevelop Old Trafford or build a new ground in the same area.

Undated handout provided by Foster + Partners of a conceptual image of what the new Manchester United stadium and surrounding area could look like. Manchester United has thrown its support behind the Governmentâs growth agenda by announcing its intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area. Issue date: Tuesday March 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Man Utd. Photo credit should read Foster + Partners/PA Wire. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The plan for the stadium was designed by architects Foster and Partners. (PA)

The project is being designed by architects at Foster and Partners and is part of a regeneration of the Old Trafford area.

The club said the project will create 92,000 new jobs and 17,000 new homes and bring in an additional 1.8 million visitors to the area each year. It said the project will be worth an extra £7.3bn a year to the UK economy.

What will the stadium look like?

Fans got their first glimpse of what the stadium could look like through models and a series of concept images.

The design of the stadium is inspired by the trident held by the red devil in United's badge and features three masts which will be 200m high and visible 25 miles away.

Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium. (PA)

Manchester United's new stadium would house 100,000 fans. (PA)

Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium. (PA)

The three 200m masts on the stadium roof will be visible from 25 miles away. (PA)

Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium. (PA)

Manchester United say the stadium will take five years to build. (PA)

The public area around the stadium will be one of the largest in the world. (PA)

Lord Foster said the stadium is contained by an umbrella structure that will harvest solar energy and rainwater, all while enclosing what he called "arguably the largest public space in the world", twice the size of London's Trafalgar Square.

The stadium will be constructed using pre-fabricated components, with 160 pieces shipped along the Manchester Ship Canal.

![File photo dated 29/01/25 of Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says would be the âworldâs greatestâ football ground. âBy building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.

Issue date: Tuesday March 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Man Utd. Photo credit should read: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire]()

The club have not said what will happen to the current Old Trafford stadium. (PA)

Foster said this will allow the stadium to be built in five years instead of 10, although a start date for construction has yet to be revealed.

The club has also not revealed what it plans to do with the existing Old Trafford stadium, which has not been significantly developed since 2006.

Who will pay for it?

The big question surrounding the new stadium is where will the money come from.

Manchester United's dire financial situation is very much public knowledge, with the club more than £1bn in debt.

Since Ratcliffe, the chairman of petrochemicals giant Ineos, spent £1.3bn last year for a 28.94% stake in the club and took control of football operations, he has been on a cost-cutting mission to save cash.

This has included rounds of redundancies, cutting contributions to a charity supporting former players, raising ticket prices and removing free lunches for club staff.

The walk that fans would take to get into the new stadium. (PA)

In an interview with the BBC this week, Ratcliffe claimed the club would have run out of money by Christmas if he had not made those decisions.

United are yet to say how they plan to pay for the new stadium, although the government have given the Old Trafford regeneration plans its backing, but chancellor Rachel Reeves has not said how it would support it.

Ratcliffe said this week that United "don't need any government funding" for the stadium, but that government money will be required for the regeneration scheme.

What has the reaction been?

Ratcliffe said the new ground will be "the world’s greatest football stadium", adding: “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.

“By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home."

Former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”

Manchester United fans voiced their concerns about the announcement of a new stadium. (PA)

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who was part of the task force for the project, said: "If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012.”

However, the Manchester United Supporters Trust has raised concerns about what the building of a new stadium might mean for fans.

A MUST spokesperson said: “Against the backdrop of uncertainty around next year’s ticket prices, continuing poor performance on the field, speculation around sales of key young players, and the recent financial results, the news probably does beg more questions than it gives clear answers.

“Whilst investment is much needed and welcome, fans remain anxious about what it means and what the consequences will be. Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans?"

What are the biggest stadiums in the UK and the world?

The existing stadium at Old Trafford is the largest club football ground in the UK, with a capacity of 74,000.

However, it is the third biggest overall, with Wembley the largest with 90,000 capacity and Twickenham's rugby ground in second place, holding 82,000 people.

Wembley remains the current largest stadium in the UK. (Getty)

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff has a capacity of just under 74,000, while Murrayfield in Edinburgh is the fifth biggest stadium in the UK with a capacity of 67,000.

The world's largest sports stadium is the Narendra Modi Stadium in the city of Ahmedabad in India, which has space for 132,000 cricket fans, or 114,600 when seated.

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang in North Korea has a capacity of 113,000, ahead of a number of US college football grounds that seat more than 100,000 people, headed by Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, home of the Michigan Wolverines, which can hold 107,000.

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