Manchester United's plans for a new Old Trafford have taken another step forward as the club has revealed the first visuals of the redeveloped stadium. In August, the club hired renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster to design the redevelopment of United's grounds.

The world's most important stadium?

Foster and Partners have begun work on the preliminary proposals for a revolutionary project, centered around the £2 billion Wembley of the North, with a seating capacity of 100,000. On September 23, the first designs for the area’s revitalization were unveiled at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham were present to seek support for the removal of a freight rail terminal, which would free up additional space for the development.

Speaking at the conference, Burnham outlined United's potential ambitions for the new stadium and its positive impact on the city. It would be the most important football venue in the world, he said in an interview with Sky Sports. It would mean that the North West of England has the best football infrastructure in the world.

First model showing new stadium for Manchester United

Will the city help financially?

Manchester United officials have been preparing for some time to decide whether it is better to redevelop Old Trafford or invest in a completely new stadium. Burnham, an Everton fan, believes that opting for the latter could benefit the club, given the potential obstacles posed by renovating the old stadium. As an Everton fan, I understand the emotional appeal to restore the old, spiritual home, he said. But sometimes it just doesn't make sense, because you can't have the world's best stadium when you go down that route.

However, the Greater Manchester Mayor confirmed that no public funds will be spent on redeveloping Old Trafford at this stage. Although the club will have to finance the new stadium or the refurbishment of Old Trafford, the mayor stated that there may be a possibility of public funds being allocated to the infrastructure of the new district in the future, such as building transportation links. Burnham also urged the government to fund plans to connect the new Parkside freight terminal, being built on the St Helens and Wigan border, to the West Coast Main Line, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds.

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Benefits for the local community…

United's vision also includes redeveloping Trafford Wharfside and providing benefits to the local community. They aim for the area to attract new residents and job opportunities. United’s training center, Carrington, will also be modernized. Lord Foster, who designed the new Wembley Stadium and Lusail Stadium, where last year’s World Cup final was held, has been asked to oversee this £50 million project. As a proud resident of Manchester, I am passionate about the opportunity to revitalize Manchester's great industrial heritage, creating a vibrant new mixed-use community, supported by highly sustainable and improved transport links, providing homes and jobs for the local community, all anchored by a world-class stadium for the world's most famous football team—Manchester United, Foster said.

…and for the whole country

According to Manchester United, an economic report commissioned to examine the benefits of building a world-class stadium has revealed that the project could contribute an additional £7.3 billion annually to the UK economy. Oxford Economics, one of the world’s leading independent advisory firms, conducted an initial economic impact assessment of the proposed solutions. Preliminary estimates suggest that the project will contribute significantly to the UK's economic growth, including the creation of 92,000 new jobs, the construction of over 17,000 new homes, and attracting an additional 1.8 million tourists annually.