Club expect construction to take four to five years, but it is still unclear when that construction will actually begin
Initial thoughts were that Manchester United could open their new 100,000-seat stadium by the start of the 2030-31 season, but those plans are now in doubt.
The club unveiled proposals for the £2bn project in March 2025, with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe stating it could be completed within five years if backed by government support. At the time, chief executive Omar Berrada confirmed the 2030-31 target.
However, Collette Roche, United’s chief executive of new stadium development, has indicated that construction may not begin until next year, which pushes the opening date even further back.
“I think when we launched the idea of a new stadium twelve months ago, we did say it would take between four and five years for construction, and that’s right,” Roche said.
“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.
“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.”
ℹ️ An update on the Old Trafford Regeneration project 🏟️
Collette Roche features on the latest Inside Carrington podcast, dropping at 19:00 GMT 👀🎙️
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 24, 2026
A key obstacle to the project is the acquisition of land needed for the stadium west of Old Trafford, currently occupied by a rail freight terminal operated by the company Freightliner Ltd. United previously valued the site at around £50m, significantly below the £400mn its owners are reportedly asking for.
But despite the slow negotiations, Roche remains optimistic.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last twelve months,” Roche said. “But to be fair, a lot of it has been behind the scenes, so people might not have seen that.
“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 matchday 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.”
Financing also remains unresolved. Ratcliffe previously described the project as “eminently financeable” but also ruled out public funding for construction. United’s latest accounts show debts of £777m, which means they will rely on borrowing and private investment.
“I’m delighted to say we’ve had a lot of interest,” Roche said about the financing for the project. “There’s a lot of people and organisations that want to invest, not just in the stadium, but also in the wider stadium district, and so those conversations are naturally going to be behind closed doors.”
How’s that for a first touch? 😮💨🤌 pic.twitter.com/f2aYtYDFKk
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 23, 2026
The regeneration of the surrounding area will be overseen by the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Committee, chaired by Sebastian Coe and including the mayor of the Greater Manchester region Andy Burnham.
“They’re the ones that are going to help us with the planning, make sure we’ve got the infrastructure around the stadium to be able to get in and out efficiently and effectively,” Roche said.
“They are also the ones that will remove any obstacles that we come up against as we go through this build, and to make sure that we can deliver the benefits. As we’ve all said, we want to for the greater good.”
