According to sources at Ineos, a new “Wembley of the North” could be in the works. We look at the possibilities.

Today, February 7, 2024, at 13:49 GMT, Jamie Jackson tweeted: “Hi Jamie!”

Doesn’t Old Trafford already look great?

No. Since Malcolm Glazer bought the club in 2005, not much has been done to update Old Trafford. It’s 114 years old and tired. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who will soon own 25% of the company, wants to talk about this. Ineos officials sаy that building a new stadium on the land around the current one could be an option. The new stadium could be called “the Wembley of the North.”

How does that work?

The plan is to build a custom, cutting-edge building that can hold about 100,000 people and will cost more than £3bn. Along with this shiny new club gem, there could be shops, restaurants, fast food chains, a movie theater with multiple screens, a club museum, and many other draws that would make this a place people want to visit. Think of the £2bn Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but even bigger to make England’s record 20-times winners and Ratcliffe’s sense of desire as United’s modernizer proud. To sum up, “the Wembley of the North”

What the heck is “Wembley of the North”?

Well, sort of. Yes, because the fact that Old Trafford wasn’t chosen as a site for Euro 2028 shows that it is in bad shape as a relic from the 1990s and needs to be fixed. The answer is no, because it is already known as the “de facto Wembley of the region.” Why? Because the 75,000-seat stadium has a long and interesting past that goes back to 1910 and includes Billy Meredith, George Best, the Sirs Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, and many more. It is also England’s second-largest football field, after Wembley.

Could money from the government be used for this?

Most likely not, especially when it comes to a big chunk of the money that is needed. United could ask the government for money for its leveling up project. The project could get a few million pounds from the government, possibly in the form of tax breaks. However, people familiar with the plans have told the Guardian that the money will mostly have to come from private businesses, since this is a private business project.

Which of the following is most likely to happen?

Let’s sаy 60-40 in favor. The chance goes up now that Ratcliffe is in charge because he has shown (so far) that he means business by hiring Omar Berrada from Manchester City as the new CEO. But there should be some doubt because the Glazer brothers still own most of the club, even though Ratliffe is putting $300 million into it later this year, which makes his share of ownership 28%. They have a bad track record when it comes to Old Trafford. Ratcliffe’s deal was announced on Christmas Eve. It said that he would “provide an additional $300 million intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.” However, the money could be used for other things as well.

How long will it take to finish?

Between six and eight years.

Where would United play while the building is being done?

That is a good question. Sources close to United have said in the past that they might not be able to play at Old Trafford while a new stadium is being built. There is a stadium across town with 53,000 seats (soon to be 60,000), but could United really play at City’s Etihad Stadium? One answer is that it made sense once fans of both teams got used to it. For example, the Milan clubs share San Siro. And United played three European games at City’s old stadium, Maine Road, because Old Trafford was bombed during the Second World and didn’t have enough floodlights in the 1950s. It seems that Anfield can’t be used because it’s too close to the Etihad, which means that maybe the new Everton stadium can be used instead. Or, how about Wembley, the Wembley of the South? From what the old joke says, most of United’s fans are actually from London.

What would happen to Manchester United?

It could be sҺrunk down to make room for the wоme𝚗’s and youth stadiums. Or changed in some way so that it can be the museum’s location.

Any other options?

Yes. A makeover for Old Trafford. But the fact that there is a train track next to it means there are limits.