Overview
- Manchester United confirmed on Thursday that the proposed new stadium will sit about 350 metres north‑west of Old Trafford on land the club bought from Indurent, securing most of the 25‑acre footprint needed for the project.
- Foster + Partners have been appointed as architects for a roughly 100,000‑seat arena estimated to cost about £2 billion, with the club targeting a five‑year build and occupation around the 2030–31 season.
- The stadium is the centrepiece of the Trafford Wharfside masterplan, which the club and council say could deliver about 15,000 homes, 48,000 local jobs and an estimated £7.3bn per year in economic activity alongside transport and public‑realm upgrades.
- Key hurdles remain before work can start: the club must acquire remaining parcels (notably land held by Freightliner), finalise private financing arrangements, and obtain planning approval while consulting supporters on the future use of Old Trafford.
- United plan to keep playing home matches at Old Trafford during construction, and the move is framed as a response to on‑site expansion limits, structural issues and the club’s wider investment strategy under current ownership.