Manchester United have a few issues to iron out before getting to work on their 100,000-seater stadium project.
It has now been five months since Manchester United revealed concept images of a 100,000-seater stadium to replace Old Trafford.
United’s new stadium is set to cost £2bn, but Ineos are yet to source any funding for the project.
When the plans were unveiled, United wanted to start work on the stadium in 2025, but there are some standout issues that need to be sorted before construction can begin.
United are being quoted £400m for a land purchase for a rail freight terminal near Old Trafford. Now, a new issue has emerged.
An aerial view of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Ineos seeking £300m public funding for Man United stadium
Acquiring the land and making space for United’s jaw-dropping stadium project is proving difficult.
According to The Guardian, United need to relocate a rail freight hub near Old Trafford to St Helens, to make space for the new stadium.
The cost of moving the hub is estimated to be between £200m and £300m, and United ideally want the UK government to fund the move.
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It has been claimed that United’s stadium can generate £7bn revenue for the UK economy, suggesting it could be in the government’s best interest to fund the move.
However, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has also previously said that no public money would be used to fund the stadium. Whether or not moving the freight hub counts as money contributed towards the stadium is up for debate.
Concern grows over Man United’s £2bn stadium project
There is no denying that United’s project is extremely ambitious, especially with the stadium set to be complete by 2030.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stadium timeline is unrealistic according to some experts, and others have suggested that the entire project is overly ambitious.
READ MORE: Man Utd consider Personal Seat Licence at new stadium, fans could face astronomical charges on top of ticket cost
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has cast doubt on United’s stadium, suggesting that a 100,000-seater project is a “moonshot”.
United’s stadium architects have already joined new projects, meaning their workload will be spread, and it seems that the estimated cost and timeline for the project is too good to be true.