In April 2022, the leadership of Manchester United appointed the company Populous and Legends International as the main planners and consultants for the reconstruction of Old Trafford. The goal was to thoroughly renovate the venue. However, everything has been put on hold as the ownership of the club became uncertain.

Change of ownership

This change was announced on December 24, stating that Jim Ratcliffe had purchased a minority stake in Manchester United. One of the points in the agreement was the financing of future infrastructural investments by INEOS and Ratcliffe. After the finalization of the agreement, $200 million is expected to be deposited into the club's account, with a donation of $100 million by the end of 2024.

The British billionaire, born in Manchester and claiming to be a lifelong fan of United, acquired a 25% stake in the club for approximately $1.3 billion. This announcement came 13 months after the club's owners, the Glazer family, declared that they were considering selling the club.

© Paweł Haziak

Three options for future of Old Trafford

The initial plans for the Theatre of Dreams were to renovate the roof, the entire structure and increase its capacity to around 100,000 seats. Nothing came of these plans, however, as the American owners decided to get rid of their stake in the Red Devils.

Populous has created plans for the continued operation of Old Trafford, and The Telegraph added that three options are currently under consideration: United will either undertake a "minor reconstruction project," expand the south stand over the adjacent railway line and completely reconstruct the existing facility, or create an entirely new stadium.

Chris Lee, the CEO of Populous, mentioned in an interview with The Telegraph the necessity of demolishing Old Trafford and building a new facility despite potential costs reaching £2 billion: Yes, the initial costs are, of course, the highest of the three options for working on the stadium, but there is a lot of land available for development. The club could continue to use the existing facility during construction, which does not imply a decline in matchday revenues. Lee also added that a potential renovation of Old Trafford could cost around £800 million as the building is in a dire state and requires a serious overhaul.

© Markus Unger (cc: by)