London – AFP:
Manchester United, the English football club, has acquired most of the land needed to build its new stadium with a capacity of 100,000 spectators, according to what the Red Devils Club announced Monday.
The 20-time English Premier League champion reported that he had acquired a plot of land of 25 acres (10 hectares) near his current stadium, “Old Trafford.”
The purchase of this land is an important step forward in the club’s plans to build the largest sports complex in Britain.
The plot of land, located 350 meters northwest of Old Trafford, means that the adjacent land owned by Freightliner is not needed.
The location of the nearby charging station had previously been an obstacle.
Colette Roche, chief executive of the new stadium development project, said: “Today’s news highlights the progress we are making towards building a new world-class stadium for Manchester United, and represents a significant milestone in the next phase of development.”
She added, “Building the stadium close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are of great importance to our fans.”
She continued, “Securing the appropriate land for our new stadium was extremely important, and the land we obtained enables us to build a world-class stadium that commemorates our past and is prepared for our future.”
United unveiled its plans for its new stadium, which will cost $2.6 billion, in 2025.
The stadium will be the focus of a comprehensive development project extending over an area of 370 acres, which includes the construction of 15,000 new homes, and the provision of 48,000 local job opportunities and 90,000 job opportunities nationwide.
The master plan for developing Old Trafford Stadium is scheduled to be revealed on July 9.
Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, said that rebuilding Old Trafford was an “intuitive decision” after purchasing a stake in the club in 2024.
United played at Old Trafford for 115 years, but the state of the infrastructure of this stadium, which can accommodate 74,000 spectators, has deteriorated in recent years.
