Manchester United is facing a question familiar to many homeowners with century-old dwellings: move or renovate?
The Premier League club is exploring options on their storied Old Trafford stadium, which opened in 1910.
The team is fielding plans from companies bidding to work on the stadium. Demolishing their current home and building a new one is considered the least likely option at this point.
“We have met with companies across a range of disciplines, including architecture, engineering, construction, crowd modeling, transport, security, and many more,” Manchester United’s COO Collette Roche said at a recent fan forum.
- In 2006, Man U increased the stadium’s capacity to 74,140. Renovations could take that figure north of 80,000.
- In 2019, the team spent around $24.8 million on improvements to facilities, hospitality areas, and security.
Spurred to Action
United is following in the footsteps of other high-profile Premier League teams, most recently Tottenham Hotspur, which opened its $1.6 billion stadium in 2019.
Liverpool plans to add 7,000 seats, beginning in 2023, at a cost of roughly $104.3 million.
Chelsea could explore upgrades or a new stadium after it is sold, and Arsenal is planning improvements beginning this summer.
