Manchester United are open to all ideas to redeveloping their Old Trafford stadium including proposals to completely rebuild their home ground on the same site.
It is understood that plans to bulldoze their current home ground to build a modern new version are ‘premature’ but they are not ruling anything out as they explore all options available.
The club is yet to appoint a developer to work with them but companies competing for the contract have started offering a variety of options and club officials are keeping an open mind at this time.
What do we know?
The club wants to modernise the stadium to improve the matchday experience for fans. The 112-year-old stadium needs more than a lick of paint to bring it up to the standard of some other Premier League grounds.
Over the years discussion has centred around extending the capacity in the South Stand, but there are plenty of options on the table as they look to improve the current ground - including knocking down the current stadium and building a new one from scratch.
Next Match
At this moment in time that looks like the least likely option as they would like to do the work in a way which would allow the team to carry on playing their home games at the ground, but all options will be considered.
It is understood their intention is to remain on the same site.
Until a master planner is appointed no concrete decision will be made and the club say they are committed to consulting supporters throughout the process.
What has been said?
Collette Roche, chief operating officer, gave an update to the Fans’ Forum late last month. She said: “Turning to stadium development, since our last meeting we have been assessing the capabilities of globally-leading consultants who want to help us develop a masterplan for the modernisation of Old Trafford, with the ultimate aim of improving the matchday experience for fans.
"We have met with companies across a range of disciplines, including architecture, engineering, construction, crowd modelling, transport, security and many more. We are hoping to appoint our preferred partners in the coming weeks; following this, we will be able to formally kick-off Phase 1 of the project, which will be focused on establishing the vision and objectives for the masterplan."
Further reading
- Inside Tom Brady’s visit to Man Utd
- Anthony Elanga: The making of Man Utd’s new superstar
- What did Ronaldo say to Tom Brady?
