Manchester United’s Chief Operating Officer, Collette Roche, says the club will pay £2 billion ($2.65 billion) to build a new Old Trafford, but the UK government will be asked to support funding for local infrastructure and area regeneration.
Earlier this year, the Red Devils announced plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe dubbed “the Wembley of the North”. The current Old Trafford, one of the most iconic football grounds in world football, has been scrutinised by fans, former players and pundits for a number of years, owing to leaks in the roof and other outdated structural features.
Ratcliffe targeted a tentative completion date by 2030, with Roche and the club confirming the price it will cost to build a “New Trafford”.
“We understand the stadium is our responsibility. We want to provide a great stadium for our fans. We will pay the £2 billion I think it is at the last estimate to be able to do that,” Roche said on the We Built This City podcast.
Man Utd Asks UK Government For Help
The COO later made an official ask to the country’s government after stating Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and the Trafford Council are “really keen to work with us.”
“There's no point building the best and biggest stadium in the UK and it being on an island where you can't get to it because the transport links aren't there, or people can't come on a non-match day, or local businesses can't be part of. So our ask of the government is that they support, not the stadium build, but support the infrastructure and the regeneration of the area.”
Plans to develop the stadium reportedly hit a roadblock in August over a price dispute between the club and land owner Freightliner. The company were said to value the land around £400 million ($531 million) at the time, while the club estimated £40-50 million ($53-66 million) for it.
“And when we've looked at it really closely, it actually ticks so many boxes for the government around their growth strategy. So it’s very easy for us to use this as a catalyst to help deliver the government plans,” Roche concluded.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cost of New Man Utd Stadium Project Revealed.