Manchester United’s new stadium is set to cost beyond £3billion after the initial budget was £2bn a year ago

The cost of Manchester United’s proposed new stadium is expected to skyrocket beyond £3billion due to ongoing delays and disputes over the price of the intended land. The club’s leadership, headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are keen to construct a new stadium following years of criticism.

Old Trafford, once the nation’s top football venue, has been surpassed by several modern stadiums, leading to increased scrutiny of United’s home ground.

Originally, the new stadium was projected to set the club back a colossal £2bn, a figure that was revealed when plans were announced a year ago. However, acquiring the land for the stadium has proven problematic, with owners Freightliner demanding £400m – eight times the £50m offered by the Manchester club.

A compulsory purchase order could establish a price and move things forward, but the construction of a new stadium could take up to a decade to complete.

Ratcliffe has invested heavily in the club’s training facilities and aims to further enhance their infrastructure. However, the INEOS boss has been cautioned that the costs of such projects are only rising – and his initial estimate may be significantly underestimated.

A stadium specialist told The Sun: “The current cost of the stadium is already north of £3billion – and the price will continue to rise. These kinds of massive projects won’t get cheaper, they are only going to increase.

There are a limited number of companies out there who can pull off these kind of huge stadium projects, for one thing. This process to complete the stadium will take ten years from now – at best.”

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United have watched as Tottenham constructed a new stadium, considered among the finest in Europe. Both Manchester City and Liverpool have revamped their grounds, whilst Arsenal’s is marking its 20th anniversary this year.

A stark indictment of Old Trafford was when it was bypassed for Euro 2028 – with the Etihad selected as the Manchester-based venue.

Former United defender Gary Neville, who previously stated that Old Trafford had been “neglected for far too long”, was part of a task force committed to revitalising the stadium. He was joined by Sebastian Coe, Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, and Trafford Council’s chief executive, Sara Todd.

Ratcliffe had attempted to persuade the government to contribute towards a new stadium, arguing it would be a significant asset to the north west.

However, his criticism of the country’s leaders is unlikely to have helped his cause, particularly after he recently claimed the country had been “colonised by immigrants”.

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