The club is hopeful of sharing some positive news on negotiations with landowners over the next few months, according to Collette Roche, chief executive of the stadium project, suggesting an impasse has been broken.
Speaking on Manchester United’s Inside Carrington podcast, Roche confirmed that talks with the owners of land the club wants to acquire to build a 100,000-seater stadium, which include Freightliner, “are progressing really, really well”.
Manchester United’s plan A is to acquire Freightliner’s rail yard next to the stadium so that it can maximise the space it has to construct the new ground, expected to cost in the region of £2bn. However, it has previously been reported that talks had broken down over a difference of opinion over the value of the land.
“We want to make sure we get the best possible position for the stadium, one which has got plenty of land around it to put the right facilities in place, one that is connected and offers a great matchday experience,” Roche said.
“I have been spending a lot of time talking to all of the local landowners to understand where that needs to be and… I am hoping to be able to share some positive news on that front in the next few months.”
The club confirmed at a recent fans’ forum that the circa £2bn cost of the stadium would come from private investors.
Man United co-owner Jim Radcliffe had previously suggested that taxpayer money could be used to foot some of the bill but Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has repeatedly said this would not be the case.
Discussions with would-be funders are progressing well, Roche said on the podcast.
“I am delighted to say we’ve had a lot of interest. There’s a lot of people and organisations that want to invest, not just in the stadium but also in the wider stadium district,” she said. “Those conversations are naturally going to be behind closed doors.”
In terms of a timeline, Roche refused to be drawn on a specific date but said the plan was “on track”. She told MUTV that Mayor Burnham has previously outlined an ambition of having the stadium ready to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup Final in 2035.
“If we could pull that off, that would be incredible,” she said.