Manchester United are confident that they will still be able to play matches at Old Trafford while their new £2billion, 100,000-seater stadium is being built on an adjacent site.
The club announced ambitious plans for the new stadium on Tuesday, with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe hoping that the project - which has been developed by Foster + Partners in conjunction with a government regeneration task force - will redevelop the surrounding area around Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe hopes that the stadium, which will be built next to the existing Old Trafford, will be seen as the finest football stadium in the world, with the aim to create 92,000 jobs and 17,000 new homes as part of the regeneration project.
[
Man Utd Supporters Trust pour cold water on new stadium plans - 'More questions than answers'](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manutd-supporters-trust-new-stadium-34837226)
Concerns immediately emerged at just how long the whole process will take, with estimates initially suggesting it could be as long as 10 years, but United say that various helpful factors mean it could be built in half that time.
The stadium will be built in ‘pre-fabricated’ sections, with the Manchester ship canal, which runs near Old Trafford, used to transport the individual construction pieces to the site, halving the time it takes to build the stadium.
United hope to complete the project in five years
United hope to complete the project in five years
Renowned architect Sir Norman Foster said: “Normally a stadium would take 10 years to build. We halve that time to five years. How do we do that? By pre-fabrication. By using the network of the Manchester Ship Canal, shipping in components, 160 of them, Mecano-like.”
Ratcliffe said: “We needed a stadium that befitted the stature of Manchester United.
“It’s more challenging to build a stadium of 100,000 but I think the north is the place to build it and it will be a stadium recognised around the world.
“Past Governments have sponsored a number of these regenerative schemes, but they have primarily been in and around London. One of two smaller ones in the north, but this will be the biggest of this scale in the north.
“We will underpinning government growth plans with a new stadium. It’s obvious the more iconic or extraordinary the stadium is, the more successful the regeneration scheme will be.
“We have one billion people around the world who follow Manchester United and they will want to come and visit this stadium. I think it will create enormous value for the region. United is the world’s favourite football club and it must have a stadium equal to the best in Europe."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.