Manchester United’s bold plan to build a 100,000-seat stadium, dubbed the “Wembley of the North” by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has hit a major roadblock. The proposed site, currently home to a Freightliner rail terminal, is at the center of a high-stakes land dispute.

Landowner demands ten times the club’s offer

United values the land at around £40–50 million, but the owner – investment group Brookfield – is demanding £400 million. Freightliner is reportedly willing to relocate operations to St Helens, but is in no rush, hoping to extract maximum profit from the deal. Talks have stalled, and the club is now weighing several options: raising the bid, scaling down the project, or asking local authorities to initiate a compulsory purchase – a legal but time-consuming process that would delay the timeline further.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe had aimed to break ground in 2025 and complete the project by 2030. However, with no land secured, no full design documentation, and no permits in place, the ambitious timeline is now uncertain. The stadium itself is expected to cost around £2 billion, though industry insiders suggest £3 billion may be a more realistic figure. The proposed roof structure alone could cost £300 million. Despite the high price tag, United is not seeking public funding. The club highlights the project’s potential benefits: an estimated 92,000 jobs created, 17,000 new homes, and 1.8 million additional tourists annually. For now, however, Wembley of the North remains a vision – one facing mounting obstacles on the ground.