Manchester United have confirmed they will leave Old Trafford to build a brand new 100,000-capacity stadium adjacent to the site. The cost will be approximately £2 billion ($2.6 billion) and be designed by architects Foster + Partners.
“With a regeneration project of this scale, it needs to have a catalyst or a nucleus, otherwise it just becomes a new housing estate or a shopping centre,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe said. “The more iconic or the more extraordinary that the stadium is, the more successful the regeneration scheme will be.
“I think a really good example is the Eiffel Tower. Everyone around the world knows the Eiffel Tower: you go to Paris, you stay in Paris, you spend money. We have one billion people around the world who follow Manchester United. I think everybody in the world who’s interested in football will want to visit Old Trafford.”
Officials claim the plans will create as many as 92,000 jobs and 17,000 new homes in Greater Manchester.
“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.”