The Sun: Manchester United Plans to Spend £1 Billion on a New Stadium, Leaving Old Trafford After 114 Years

The British newspaper The Sun, in an article titled “New Trafford,” reports that Manchester United plans to build a new stadium valued at £2 billion instead of renovating its current one.

Manchester United has been using Old Trafford as its home ground since 1910, for 114 years. The stadium has undergone several expansions and can currently accommodate 74,300 spectators. It is now believed that a club like Manchester United should have the most advanced facilities and a larger stadium capacity, so the team has been looking for solutions.

After Sir Ratcliffe became the owner of Manchester United, he initially seriously considered rebuilding the existing stadium, but the plan was affected by many practical factors. For example, cost issues—the renovation costs for the current stadium are even higher than building a new one; and revenue issues—during construction, the stadium’s capacity would be affected, and Manchester United might have to temporarily relocate, impacting the club’s revenue.

Now, Manchester United is more inclined to build a new stadium near Old Trafford. To achieve this goal, the club has been conducting site visits to other stadiums, such as Real Madrid’s renovated Bernabeu and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou, both of which underwent major renovations. Additionally, Manchester United has sent a team to inspect SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which can accommodate 70,000 people and will host six games including the opening match of the 2026 World Cup.

Many Red Devils fans do not support moving away from Old Trafford. The club has consulted approximately 30,000 fans, with those supporting staying and those supporting relocation roughly evenly split.

British media reports that Manchester United will officially announce the “New Trafford” plan in December. The new stadium is expected to accommodate 100,000 people, cost £2 billion, and be completed by 2030. Negotiations are ongoing regarding the project’s funding, which will involve a mix of public funds and private investment. Manchester United has also contacted the UK’s new Prime Minister, who is willing to provide support for this plan.