Manchester United are hopeful of having their proposed new stadium open within the next six years, the stadium development CEO has said.
United unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium in March 2025.
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There has been little public progress since, although the £2 billion project has moved on “behind the scenes” according to stadium development CEO Collette Roche.
The club estimates that after securing the necessary land and financing, the stadium will take between “four and five years” to build.
And Roche insists the timeline has always been to open the doors ahead of the 2032-33 season at the latest.
“I think when we launched the idea of a new stadium 12 months ago, we did say it would take between four and five years for construction and that’s right,” said Roche.
“But I think people read that as we might have the stadium ready for 2030. But as you know, with a stadium build as complex as the one that we’re going to enter into, it does take one or two years to get ready for construction.
“To get the land assembled, to get the funds in place and to get the planning permission. So that’s the part that we’re doing right now. So we’ve not named a date for opening, but we are on track within those timescales.”
Although the new stadium is set to be built on the site of Old Trafford, the club require some surrounding land for the project.
Negotiations with rail freight and logistics company Freightliner have been particularly problematic, but Roche said the club were hopeful of making an announcement “in the next few months” after positive talks.
“Some of the examples of progress we’ve made are first and foremost in land assembly,” said Roche.
“We want to make sure we get the best possible position for this stadium, one which has got plenty of land around it to put the right facilities in place, one that’s connected and offers a great match day experience.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time talking to all the local landowners to understand where that needs to be, and we’re progressing that really, really well, and I’m hoping to be able to share some positive news on that front in the next few months.”
