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Ammon News - Manchester United want to build a brand new 100,000-capacity stadium to replace Old Trafford and will announce their plans by the end of the year.

The £2billion project could be completed by 2030, eclipsing Wembley as the biggest stadium in the country and making it the second largest in Europe behind Barcelona’s revamped 105,000-seater Nou Camp.

United must still make a final decision over whether to rebuild or redevelop Old Trafford, but it has been clear for some time that they share the vision of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to bulldoze their home of 114 years and create a new state-of-the-art stadium on adjacent land.

The club cannot afford to pay for it on their own, even with the backing of Ratcliffe and majority owners the Glazer family. Selling the naming rights is being considered, although United insist that fans will be consulted over that process.

The club are looking at public-private funding opportunities for the new stadium and wider regeneration of the area around Old Trafford, known as the Stadium District, on land owned by the club.

New Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has already indicated that he would be open to conversations about government support for transport links.

United appreciate the cost of rebuilding Old Trafford could rise above £2bn - as was the case with Real Madrid’s £2.4bn redevelopment of the Bernabeu - but the commercial benefits of a new stadium are huge compared to improving the existing one at a cost of around £1.1bn.

It would also allow the team to keep playing at Old Trafford while the new stadium is built next door, minimising the disruption to fans and ensuring that United continue to generate the revenue from 75,000 sell-out crowds.

United have canvassed 30,000 fans over their preference, with the vote said to be around 50-50. Ratcliffe wants a decision by the end of the year but it’s understood that the Old Trafford taskforce, which has met four times so far under the leadership of Lord Coe, is focussing largely on building a new stadium.

Club bosses recognise the importance of safeguarding Old Trafford’s status as the biggest club ground in the country for years to come. It would also overshadow the 90,000-seater national stadium to become what Ratcliffe has described as the ‘Wembley of the North’.

Daily Mail