Manchester United to build new 100,000-capacity stadium – dubbed “Wembley of the North”

It is set to host music events, and will see the club leave its Old Trafford home after 115 years

Manchester United have shared intentions to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium, which will be the new “Wembley of the North”.

The stadium will be built in the Old Trafford area, and see the team leave the space where they have been for the past 115 years. It is expected to be built on the club-owned land adjacent to the old venue, and is considerably bigger – with the predecessor holding 74,000 spectators.

The team have suggested that it will take five years to build the new site entirely, and claimed that it will be a driving force for growth in the area; predicted to create 92,000 jobs and 17,000 new homes in Greater Manchester (via The Guardian).

“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,” United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said, as per the outlet.

“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.”

As reported by Sky Sports, Ratcliffe also added: “Wembley, the O2 Arena, the Olympic Village – nothing of the scale of what we’ve seen in London in the north… This will be the first of this scale in the north of England.”

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Backing has come from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who stood behind the decision for regeneration in January. She did not lay out the ways that the government would support it, however.

Andy Burnham – mayor of Greater Manchester – has offered support too, saying: “If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012. Manchester United could, and indeed should, have the best football stadium in the world.”

The new design has been developed by architect Norman Foster, and described as a “vast umbrella” over the stadium and a new public plaza “twice the size of Trafalgar Square”. Find sketches of the planned design above.

While the site is set to be completed in five years and have a larger capacity than Wembley Stadium, it has raised some concerns from Manchester United Supporters Trust. Organisers here have already begun questioning if it will drive up ticket prices for local fans, potentially harm the atmosphere, or contribute to a “debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades”.

Old Trafford has seen performances from Green Day, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Harry Styles, Liam Gallagher, Beyoncé and many more throughout the years. The planned development for a new space follows in the footsteps of the recently opened Co-op Arena in the city, which opened close to the pre-existing AO Arena.