Man United director admits ‘risky’ new stadium could derail their future
Omar Berrada has admitted that Manchester United are taking a risk by attempting to develop both a world-class squad and a top-tier stadium simultaneously. On Tuesday, the club revealed plans to build a 100,000-seat arena on land next to Old Trafford. Man United are set for a brand new stadium to bid farewell to Old Trafford Berrada is hopeful that United will be playing in the £2billion venue by the beginning of the 2030/31 season but admitted that financing the project could present challenges. He pointed to Arsenal and Tottenham as examples of clubs that struggled to balance major stadium construction with on-pitch success. “That is a risk,” United’s CEO admitted. “It’s something we are keen to avoid. “We don’t want to compromise our ability to invest in the squad or affect our competitiveness while constructing a new stadium. “There are different ways to navigate that, and one of our key strategies is to reduce the construction timeline so that we can have a new stadium ready within five years. That’s our goal. “In the meantime, by restoring financial stability and becoming profitable, we believe we can remain highly competitive. “One of the club’s greatest advantages is having the largest fanbase in the world, which gives us the potential to generate the highest revenue.” Berrada also expressed his desire for Ruben Amorim to be at the helm when United move into their new home. “We’d love to open the new stadium with Ruben as head coach,” Berrada added. The Portuguese manager is currently under contract until June 2027, with the club holding an option for an additional year. Man United officially unveiled its plans for Old TraffordMan United The stadium project will see the whole area around Old Trafford regeneratedMan United Dubbed as ‘New Trafford’ the 100,000-seater stadium aims to become one of the best in Europe and a home for English football too. United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the driving force behind creating what he hopes will be a ‘Wembley of the north’. The £2billion project secured government backing in January to regenerate the area around United’s current Old Trafford home, in addition to the stadium itself. It is estimated the redevelopment of the Trafford Park area could boost the UK economy by as much as £7.3bn. The new-look Trafford Park complex would boast a major transport hub as well as dedicated premises for sports, residential, entertainment, business as well as an education campus. The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force has emphasised that their vision for transforming the area could generate over 90,000 jobs. The stadium will have a capacity of 100,000Man United Established by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the task force includes former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and Trafford Council leader Sara Todd. On Tuesday, Foster + Partners, the architectural firm tasked with designing the stadium district, unveiled conceptual images and scaled models showcasing what the new ground and its surrounding area could look like. While construction could take as long as seven years, with completion projected for 2032, Ratcliffe is pushing for a much quicker turnaround, aiming to have the project finished within five years. Berrada said: “Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium. We are grateful for the feasibility work done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force exploring options for the future of Old Trafford. “We have carefully considered its findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community. “We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
Omar Berrada has admitted that Manchester United are taking a risk by attempting to develop both a world-class squad and a top-tier stadium simultaneously.
On Tuesday, the club revealed plans to build a 100,000-seat arena on land next to Old Trafford.
Berrada is hopeful that United will be playing in the £2billion venue by the beginning of the 2030/31 season but admitted that financing the project could present challenges.
He pointed to Arsenal and Tottenham as examples of clubs that struggled to balance major stadium construction with on-pitch success.
“That is a risk,” United’s CEO admitted. “It’s something we are keen to avoid.
“We don’t want to compromise our ability to invest in the squad or affect our competitiveness while constructing a new stadium.
“There are different ways to navigate that, and one of our key strategies is to reduce the construction timeline so that we can have a new stadium ready within five years. That’s our goal.
“In the meantime, by restoring financial stability and becoming profitable, we believe we can remain highly competitive.
“One of the club’s greatest advantages is having the largest fanbase in the world, which gives us the potential to generate the highest revenue.”
Berrada also expressed his desire for Ruben Amorim to be at the helm when United move into their new home.
“We’d love to open the new stadium with Ruben as head coach,” Berrada added.
The Portuguese manager is currently under contract until June 2027, with the club holding an option for an additional year.
Dubbed as ‘New Trafford’ the 100,000-seater stadium aims to become one of the best in Europe and a home for English football too.
United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the driving force behind creating what he hopes will be a ‘Wembley of the north’.
The £2billion project secured government backing in January to regenerate the area around United’s current Old Trafford home, in addition to the stadium itself.
It is estimated the redevelopment of the Trafford Park area could boost the UK economy by as much as £7.3bn.
The new-look Trafford Park complex would boast a major transport hub as well as dedicated premises for sports, residential, entertainment, business as well as an education campus.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force has emphasised that their vision for transforming the area could generate over 90,000 jobs.
Established by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the task force includes former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and Trafford Council leader Sara Todd.
On Tuesday, Foster + Partners, the architectural firm tasked with designing the stadium district, unveiled conceptual images and scaled models showcasing what the new ground and its surrounding area could look like.
While construction could take as long as seven years, with completion projected for 2032, Ratcliffe is pushing for a much quicker turnaround, aiming to have the project finished within five years.
Berrada said: “Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium. We are grateful for the feasibility work done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force exploring options for the future of Old Trafford.
“We have carefully considered its findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community.
“We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
