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United launch new £2bn stadium plan

Manchester United has announced plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium as the “centrepiece” of a major regeneration project, as minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe presses on with his efforts to overhaul the club from top to bottom. The new ground, designed by architects at Foster + Partners, would be the biggest stadium in the UK and among the largest in the world.

 It would be built on ground adjacent to the team’s current 74,000-seater Old Trafford stadium, which would be demolished once the venue is complete. The designs feature a canopy that will collect rain water and solar energy, and will be suspended by three 200-metre spires — a nod to the trident-wielding red devil on the United club crest — that will be visible from 40km away.

Speaking in London at the unveiling of the concept, Ratcliffe promised the “most iconic, most recognisable stadium in the world”, and compared it with the Eiffel Tower in its potential to attract visitors from around the world. The modular construction plan involves building large sections of the stadium off-site — potentially overseas — which would then be floated up the canal.

Architect Sir Norman Foster said the process could cut overall construction time in half to about five years. Industry experts said building a new stadium was likely to cost upwards of £2bn. Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, said it was too early to speculate on exactly how the build would be funded. “Right now it’s still very early days. We’ll be looking at all the options,” he said.

The club said the regeneration of the Trafford area to the south-west of Manchester city centre could deliver 17,000 new homes, and had the potential to create 92,000 jobs. On timing, Ratcliffe said it would now depend on “how quickly the government gets going with its regeneration programme” for the surrounding area.

The demolition will be emotional for fans. Sir Bobby Charlton, winner of the 1966 World Cup with England, once called Old Trafford the Theatre of Dreams. It has also been known as home to the Busby Babes and Fergie’s Fledglings, dominant teams under the club’s two most successful managers Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson.

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