Manchester United have plans to build a new stadium to replace Old Trafford but they are facing issues in buying the land whilst their original costings could be way off the mark
Man Utd have plans to build a new stadium - but it is set to cost them several billion
Man Utd have plans to build a new stadium - but it is set to cost them several billion(Image: PA)
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Manchester United's new stadium is set to see its costs soar beyond the £3billion mark amid ongoing delays and disputes over the cost of the proposed land.
The club's hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, want to build a new stadium after years of criticism. Old Trafford, once the country's premier footballing venue, has been overtaken by numerous state-of-the-art grounds. As a result, it has been used as a stick to beat United with.
A new stadium was original set to cost the club a mammoth £2bn, a figure that emerged when the plans were announced a year ago. But buying the land to build the venue has proved an issue with owners Freightliner wanting £400m - eight times the £50m offered by the Manchester outfit.
A compulsory purchase order could set a price and progress things, but work on a new stadium could take a decade before it is finally finished.
Ratcliffe has ploughed money into the club's training base and wants to continue bolstering their infrastructure, but the Ineos chief has been warned that the cost of such projects is only increasing - and his original figure may be well off the mark.
A stadium expert told The Sun: “The current cost of the stadium is already north of £3billion – and the price will continue to rise. These kinds of massive projects won’t get cheaper, they are only going to increase. There are a limited number of companies out there who can pull off these kind of huge stadium projects, for one thing. This process to complete the stadium will take ten years from now – at best.”
United have seen Tottenham build a new stadium, regarded as one of the best in Europe. Manchester City and Liverpool have both redeveloped their venues whilst Arsenal's is only 20 years old this year. A damning reflection on Old Trafford came when it was overlooked for Euro 2028 - with the Etihad chosen as the Manchester-based venue.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been warned that his original costings could be well off the mark
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been warned that his original costings could be well off the mark(Image: PA)
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Former United defender Gary Neville, who previously claimed that Old Trafford had been "neglected for far too long", had formed part of a task force that was responsible for ensuring the stadium's regeneration. He was joined by Sebastian Coe, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the chief executive of Trafford Council, Sara Todd.
Ratcliffe had looked to lobby the government to help pay for a new stadium, insisting it would serve as a huge asset to the north west. But his criticism of the country's leaders will have done little to aid his case with the billionaire claiming recently the country had been "colonised by immigrants".