Manchester United’s plans to build their new, proposed stadium, worth a reported £2 billion, have been thrown into serious doubt as industry-leading experts have expressed their concerns over the logistics of key aspects following the eye-opening unveiling.
On Tuesday, the 13-time Premier League champions announced their intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater ground rather than renovate their current home, Old Trafford, as part of the regeneration of south Manchester.
Old Trafford, regarded as one of the best stadiums in Premier League history, has been home to the club since 1910 – but it is soon to be replaced, within five years, by a new build, which Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said will become an iconic attraction.
Designed by Foster + Partners – the architecture firm who have previously worked on the new Wembley Stadium and the Lusail Stadium – a notable feature is the three masts, inspired by the Red Devils trident on the famous club crest.
However, according to Mail Online, industry insiders have been quick to question how error-proof Manchester United's plan is considering the grand plans were declared just 24 hours after Ratcliffe claimed they were close to running out of cash.
The 72-year-old, while speaking in an interview with defender-turned-pundit Gary Neville, insisted that a second round of staff redundancies and further spending cuts were necessary in order to prevent the club ‘going bust’ by Christmas 2025.
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Manchester United announced on 11th March that they will be building a new 100,000-seater ground.
Per the aforementioned report, sources have insisted that Tuesday’s official release of the concepts was to garner excitement while the search for funding continues. CEO Omar Berrada, among others, has spoken to potential investors in Cannes.
Referencing the £1.5 billion that Real Madrid spent renovating one of the best stadiums in world football, the Santiago Bernabeu, those blessed with infrastructural knowledge are wary of Ratcliffe and co’s budget of £2 billion given that it’s a complete rebuild rather than mere refurbishments.
Foster + Partners' conceptual images for Manchester United's proposed 100,000 seater below:
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur’s state-of-the-art ground cost £1.1 billion – but the north London-based stadium was built pre-Covid and, since then, the cost of materials has spiralled out of control, while improved transport links will also enhance spending.
Finances aside, doubt has also been cast over the stadium’s unique tent-like canopy, which is believed to be the cornerstone of the glossy plans, because of the limited space on the footprint of the new stadium at the back of the existing Stretford End.
Architect Lord Norman Foster is confident of building Manchester United’s trailblazing stadium within the proposed five-year window, owing to the use of the Manchester Ship Canal as the water route makes transporting parts that much easier.