Manchester United have taken a significant step towards building their proposed 100,000-seater stadium after securing the majority of the land required for the project near Old Trafford.
The club have acquired a 25-acre site around 350 metres away from their current home, clearing one of the biggest early hurdles in their plan to build what would become the largest football stadium in the United Kingdom.
The new stadium, referred to in project documents as “New Trafford”, is expected to have a capacity of 100,000 and would surpass Wembley Stadium’s 90,000 capacity to become the biggest ground in England.
The land secured by United is located between Europa Way, Wharfside Way and John Gilbert Way, and the acquisition also means the club may be able to avoid a potentially complicated delay involving land owned by Freightliner.
Manchester United move closer to New Trafford dream
The proposed stadium is expected to take around five years to build, with United planning to continue playing at Old Trafford during construction.
The club’s current home has a capacity of 74,879, but the new ground would represent a dramatic expansion, both in size and ambition.
The project is not limited to the stadium alone, with Manchester United’s new home part of a wider 370-acre Old Trafford regeneration plan, which is expected to include around 15,000 new homes, including affordable housing.
The broader development is also projected to create 48,000 jobs locally and more than 90,000 nationally, while adding over £7 billion per year to the UK economy.
