Manchester United have acquired the majority of the land needed to build a new £2billion stadium to replace Old Trafford, the club have announced.
A 25-acre triangle of land 350 metres away from the current ground, located between Wharfside Way, Europa Way and John Gilbert Way, has been purchased. That area currently hosts a trading estate which includes the TeamSport Go Karting centre and car and van specialists.
United are continuing to work on acquiring the rest of the land needed, but insiders say they do not expect any issues.
They have been in negotiations with Freightliner for some time over acquiring the land currently used as a freight terminal behind Old Trafford, but have now abandoned that plan after failing to reach a compromise. At one stage, the two sides were £360million apart in their valuations.
Sources say that the club have worked in a disciplined and strategic way that has enabled them to get the new deal done efficiently and at market value.
They believe it will work best for the new stadium and the wider regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
Manchester United have acquired the majority of the land needed to build a new £2billion stadium to replace Old Trafford (pictured – designs of what the new ground would look like)
United are acquiring the area located between Wharfside Way, Europa Way and John Gilbert Way – highlighted in red
United will now move on to the design phase with supporters and hope to submit a planning application in the near future for a 100,000-seater ‘Wembley of the North’.
Collette Roche, CEO of United’s new stadium development, said: ‘Today’s news highlights the progress we’re making towards a world-class new home for Manchester United and represents a significant milestone as we move into the next phase of development.
‘Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are so important to our fans.
‘We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of our thinking.
‘This is a generational opportunity that is fully aligned with both local and national growth ambitions.
‘Securing the right land for our new home has been absolutely critical, and the land we’ve acquired gives us the stage to deliver a truly world-class stadium that honours our past and is ready for our future.’
Earlier this year Lord Sebastian Coe had said the timeline to build the new stadium was ‘slightly uncertain’ and proving to be complicated – with land acquisition key.
Speaking on The Sports Agents podcast, Coe said: ‘I love regeneration projects and I was really pleased to be asked to get involved in that.
‘I do actually believe in good, locally-funded projects to make lives easier for local people. And I also saw from the London model that if you build it around sport, the multiplier impact of getting other stuff done is far quicker than it would have been.
United’s ambitious plans from architects Foster + Partners were unveiled in March 2025
‘Land acquisition is always complicated. I know that from London, so, at this moment, it’s just putting the stuff together sequentially and incrementally and using a world-class stadium to be a catalyst for so many other things, including inward investment.
‘So, it’s about jobs, it’s about housing, it’s about educational aspiration and I’ve seen sport so often used properly, changing local landscapes and this is an exciting project.’
As for the timescale, Coe added: ‘Well, again, it’s slightly uncertain at the moment. The stadium is being scoped and being properly scaled.
‘But again, that is also dependent on the purchasing and the acquisition of various other parcels of land in that space.
‘That’s all taking place at the moment and I won’t maintain a running commentary on that, but we’re moving in the right direction.’
