Manchester United have announced plans to build the biggest stadium in the United Kingdom; the construction will cost the club £2bn.
The Red Devils will leave Old Trafford after spending over 100 years in the stadium. The new iconic edifice is expected to have a 100,000-seat capacity.
The new stadium is expected to take five years to construct.
It will be the largest stadium in the United Kingdom and will be built on club-owned land adjacent to Old Trafford.
The club confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday on their website.
The statement reads: “Manchester United has thrown its support behind the government’s growth agenda by announcing its intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area.”
Manchester United have spent the last 115 years at Old Trafford, which currently holds nearly 74,000 spectators.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, opened up on the need for a new stadium, admitting that Old Trafford has fallen behind the best stadiums in the world.
He said: “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford.
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home.
“Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment, not just during the construction phase, but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
“The Government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.”
The new stadium will feature an umbrella design that, according to its architects, will harvest solar energy and rainwater.
It will also include three masts that will make the new stadium visible from 40 km away.
The new stadium and wider regeneration project is expected to deliver an additional £7.3bn to the UK economy annually, alongside the creation of 92,000 new jobs and more than 17,000 new homes.
The U.K. government has already voiced its support for the project.
Wembley is currently the biggest stadium in the U.K., with a capacity of 90,000.
