Revealed: Why Man Utd are mulling sale of Old Trafford naming rights for first time in 114-year stadium history as Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution continues

According to The Athletic, United's minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to drive up revenues to fund a potentially 'multi-billion pound project', while deciding whether or not to hike up ticket prices. The report adds the club have held talks with the likes of Bank of America as they try to reduce their debt, which currently stands at £653.3 million ($826.8m) - although that allegedly doesn't include money owed in transfer fees.

United's famous old ground has been called Old Trafford for 114 years but changing its name could be a contentious issue for fans. More recently, however, Arsenal and Manchester City have taken on lucrative naming rights contracts - such as the Emirates and the Etihad respectively. This brings in both teams tens of millions of pounds each year, particularly as the airlines have not only acquired the rights to the stadium's name but also front-of-shirt sponsorship. Changing the name of the stadium could be better for fans' pockets than a rise in ticket prices, too.

Ratcliffe has previously spoken about optimising revenue from stadiums, with the INEOS owner estimating that a refurbishment of Old Trafford - where they would rise the capacity to 80,000-90,000 people - could cost around £1 billion ($1.26bn). A newly-built ground may cost double that, but is less feasible.

United, whose players are set to return for pre-season on July 8, will already increase the price of their season tickets by five per cent for the 2024-25 season - something they have done for two campaigns in a row now.