Freshly released visuals showcase the potential future look of Manchester United’s envisioned stadium, dubbed the ‘Wembley of the North,’ following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s initiative for a revamped Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been vocal about his ambition to transform Manchester United comprehensively, which has been underscored by his acquisition of a significant stake in the club from the Glazers.
The prospect of leaving Old Trafford has sparked mixed feelings among fans, who cherish the historic venue despite recognizing its need for substantial upgrades after years of deterioration.
In a discussion with The Independent, Ratcliffe detailed his rationale for advocating a relocation from the storied Old Trafford grounds.
“We can refurbish the ground and have a fantastic stadium, that will take about a billion to do that, and the club can shoulder that burden. But we have got this opportunity to build a new ground if we choose to. We’ve got enough space to build a completely new ground,” Ratcliffe explained.
“If we build a completely new ground, it would be state of the art, world-class, [have a capacity of] 90,000 or even 100,000. I think that then provides a platform for some of the big competitions in the north of England. Why shouldn’t England play in the north? Why is the FA Cup final always in the south?
“It (United) needs to have a stadium that is befitting the club and the brand. That might have been the case 20 years ago, but it isn’t today. [Old Trafford] is a little bit tired.”
“If you look at what Real Madrid are doing with the Bernabeu and Barcelona with the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu is fabulous. It’s like a cauldron of noise. The Nou Camp is enormous and they are spending a lot of money revamping it,” Ratcliffe said.
“You look at the Premier League, we don’t have anything that compares. And yet the Premier League is several times bigger than the Spanish league in terms of size, scale and importance today. That’s where all the money is with TV. The Premier League needs to have some grounds which are the equal of our European competitors,” He added.