Sir Jim’s dream new stadium facing huge stumbling blocks, could go up in smoke – report

For years, Manchester United fans have been dismayed by the lack of investment in their iconic home, Old Trafford. New stadium plans Still one of the most recognisable stadiums in world football, the arena is certainly out of touch with some of the more modern examples on show in England and abroad. The Glazers have failed to invest significant money in the stadium in over 20 years, much to the frustration of the supporters. Good news was received last spring, though, when plans were announced for the building of a new stadium that would reach a capacity of 100,000 people. Delays Unfortunately, there have been delays surrounding the project, with no clear timetable set for when work will begin on Manchester United’s new home. The Sun now reports that, “delays to building the new Manchester United stadium threaten to push costs past £3 billion.” The project was originally budgeted for £2 billion, but there have been major issues in trying to buy the land next to Old Trafford. The Red Devils “are understood to have offered around £50 million, well short of the £400 million wanted by owner Freightliner.” A compulsory purchase order could be put in place, which could set a price, but this would probably take at least ten years to finish the project. Rising price A stadium expert told The Sun that, “the current cost of the stadium is already north of £3billion – and the price will continue to rise.” They explained that there are only a limited number of companies who can handle a project of this size, and any delays will only add to an ever-ballooning budget. The expert also warned that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent controversial comments about immigrants will do little to curry favour with the government in assisting with their building plans. Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.