David Gill and Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Manchester United’s co-owner Jim Ratcliffe (R) attends the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel is not in favour of the club moving from Old Trafford to a new stadium.
It’s been a terrible start to the season for Manchester United – on and off the pitch. This has led to increased pressure on Michael Carrick, uncertainty over his future, and intensified fan tensions with the ownership.
On top of everything, United are planning to move from Old Trafford into a 100,000-capacity stadium near the current site within the next decade. The costs could surpass £2 billion, and fans are singing about being against it at matches.
To make matters worse, United are currently fourth from the bottom in the Premier League. At least Carrick’s side ended a nine-match unbeaten run with a 3-2 Champions League comeback win over Roma on Tuesday.
Peter Schmeichel wants Man Utd to remain at Old Trafford
Treble-winner Peter Schmeichel has urged Jim Ratcliffe to scrap his plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium. The former goalkeeper believes Old Trafford represents United and is an inspiration for every player.
“First of all, I want Jim to backtrack on the new stadium,” Schmeichel told CBS Sports. “I don’t think we need a new stadium. I think this is Manchester United. It’s an inspiration for every player. But more importantly than that, for every one of these people in here, Old Trafford is Manchester United, and we should keep it.”
Moreover, former United chairman Martin Edwards has warned the club to address their underachieving squad so they can turn things around. The 81-year-old, who was chairman at Old Trafford between 1980 and 2002, stressed there’s no point having a state-of-the-art stadium if you can’t fill it.
Speaking on the latest episode of Keys & Grey Unleashed, Edwards said: “The crowd have been vociferous about what they could do with the new stadium. And I tell you what – I can sympathise with that.
“You can talk about new stadiums and everything else, but the most important ingredient is always the players and what’s happening on the field – and success.
“Now the last thing the United fans want to hear is a new stadium when they’ve got a team that’s languishing 17th in the league, below Coventry. The priority has to be the team. Concentrate on getting that right. United now needs investment. I mean, they probably need investment on the stadium itself.
“So the club needs investment spending. The team definitely needs investment, doesn’t it? When I look at the team sheet, I think, why isn’t it performing? You know, there’s some good individuals on that. It’s down to choice. Did they need midfielders? Do they need a left-back or centre-forward?”