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Man United leaving Old Trafford after 115 years

Manchester United has officially announced that the club will be leaving Old Trafford, its home for over 100 years.

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Man United leaving Old Trafford

United unveiled the proposal on Tuesday, with former manager Sir Alex Ferguson backing it.

The proposed 100,000-seat arena would surpass Wembley, currently the largest stadium in the U.K. with a capacity of 90,000.

The plan follows recommendations from the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force—established over a year ago—and a series of fan consultations.

Renowned British architect Norman Foster has been appointed as the designer.

“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,” co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said on Tuesday.

“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.”

Old Trafford, which has a capacity of 76,000 after the last expansion in 2006, was opened in 1910.

The proposal includes an expected cost of around £2 billion ($2.59 billion)

New stadium poses ‘risk’ to team competitiveness

Meanwhile, United CEO Omar Berrada admitted that the club “risks” falling further behind its rivals while investing in the new stadium.

Berrada also acknowledges that the funds available to strengthen the squad may be affected as the project is financed.

“That is a risk,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“Clearly it’s something we want to avoid. We don’t want to inhibit our ability to invest in the team, for us to continue being competitive while we are building a new stadium.”

Additionally, Berrada confirmed that United will not be asking for taxpayer money to fund the stadium.

The aim is to move into their new home in five years ahead of the 2030-31 season.