Images: Foster + Partners
Manchester United has today (Tuesday) confirmed plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
The first conceptual images and scaled models of what the new stadium and surrounding area could look like have been unveiled this morning by Foster + Partners, the architecture group appointed to design the stadium district.
United said the stadium and wider regeneration project has the potential to deliver an additional £7.3bn (€8.7bn/$9.4bn) per year to the UK economy, and create up to 92,000 new jobs and more than 17,000 new homes. The club also anticipates the project will drive an additional 1.8 million visitors annually.
The images and models released by Foster + Partners will provide a masterplan for more detailed feasibility consultation, design and planning work.
The stadium is contained by an umbrella-style structure, which Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, said will harvest energy and rainwater. The umbrella will also shelter a new public plaza that will be twice the size of Trafalgar Square.
The stadium will anchor a wider district that will be walkable, served by public transport and “endowed by nature”, Foster said. “It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of,” he added.
Foster said the stadium will take five years to build and it has been reported that a new stadium could cost more than £2bn. The club has not confirmed how the project will be funded.
United offered a first glimpse of what a rebuilt Old Trafford could look like back in September. At that stage, the club was undecided on whether to build a new stadium from scratch or redevelop the existing Old Trafford.
A redevelopment of Old Trafford would have increased the capacity of the stadium to 87,000, but United has now confirmed plans to pursue a new-build.
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford. Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home.
“Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment, not just during the construction phase, but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete. The government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.”
Foster + Partners was appointed as the lead architect for the stadium district last September. At the time, United said that the company’s initial remit would cover the club-owned land that surrounds the existing stadium, stressing that the stadium itself would not form part of this exercise.
With United now confirming that it will pursue a new-build, the first official designs of the 100,000-capacity stadium have been released.
Last March, United formed a Task Force to explore options for the redevelopment of Old Trafford that includes London 2012 chair Lord Sebastian Coe, former United captain Gary Neville and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
The Task Force recently completed its initial feasibility work, with an Options Report submitted to executive bodies at United, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Trafford Borough Council. A survey carried out by United back in November found that the majority of fans would prefer a new stadium over a redeveloped Old Trafford.
Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, added: “Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium. We are grateful for the feasibility work done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force exploring options for the future of Old Trafford.
“We have carefully considered its findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community. We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
In January, United’s plans to regenerate the area around Old Trafford were backed by the UK Treasury, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves championing the project as a “shining example” of the government’s plans to promote economic growth. In its statement today, United said it has “thrown its support behind the government’s growth agenda” by announcing its intention to pursue a new stadium.
Ratcliffe has previously given his backing to the case for public money to help fund the stadium. Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in United in February 2024 and has spoken of his desire to build a ‘Wembley of the North’.
Despite being the largest club stadium in England with a capacity of 74,000, Old Trafford has not been selected as a host venue for UEFA Euro 2028. Etihad Stadium, home of United’s rival Manchester City, will be a host venue.
It has also been over 20 years since Old Trafford last hosted the UEFA Champions League final and Ratcliffe believes that a new venue would help attract more top-tier events to Manchester.
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