Manchester United face setback to new £2bn stadium plans as architect’s priority now emerges

Manchester United have allegedly been handed a potential major blow in their efforts to leave Old Trafford for a new stadium by 2030.

Earlier this year, ambitious plans were revealed for the Premier League giants to make the switch to a 100,000-capacity stadium within the next five years.

The move is part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's vision to build “an iconic football stadium” that would be surrounded by bars, restaurants and businesses at a destination that he hopes football fans will want to spend time at.

However, for that to materialise, a number of issues are still to be resolved, including the purchase of land and whether the project can remain within the suggested £2bn budget.

Man United facing new stadium blow

Fosters + Partners – a global studio for sustainable architecture, urbanism, engineering and design – are overseeing the design of the stadium, and Ratcliffe would have hoped that their priority would be Man United.

Instead, as per the Mail online, Fosters + Partners have been given the green light to commence work with the rebuild of San Siro, the home of AC Milan and Inter Milan.

San Siro, outdated in comparison to newer designs, is due to be knocked down with a new 71,500 stadium being built in its place.

New San Siro to be finished before New Trafford?

Like with Man United's new stadium, there will be a wider transformation of the surrounding areas and, as it stands, there is hope that the new San Siro will be completed by 2031.

That presents obvious potential logistical issues for Fosters + Partners, leaving Man United chiefs looking how they can speed up the process of ticking the necessary boxes in order for their own work to proceed.

The New Trafford Stadium – the name currently given to the planned new ground by Fosters + Partners – will be located next to Old Trafford.

As it stands, there are no formal plans in place with regards to if and when Old Trafford will be demolished, or if Man United would be required to play elsewhere for any period of time.

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