‘Good’ - Erik ten Hag gives verdict on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘Wembley of the North’ plans for Man Utd

Erik ten Hag has said Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reported plans to build a ‘Wembley of the North’ for Manchester United matches the club’s 'ambitions'.

Reports in the Telegraph this week claimed that Ratcliffe plans to construct a new £1.5bn stadium on the ground surrounding Old Trafford which is owned by United. The Ineos lead shareholder wants an ‘absolute state-of-the-art, knock-it-out-of-the-park, ‘wow’ stadium’ to rival the 90,000-seater Wembley, with significant issues surrounding the redevelopment of the current ground.

Similar reports have since emerged in the Daily Mail, the Times and the Manchester Evening News, with Ratcliffe believed to be hopeful of gaining government support via the ‘Levelling Up’ scheme. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that he ‘will support whatever the club wants to do', and Ratcliffe has also set aside $300m (£239m) designated to improve the club's current infrastructure.

Meanwhile, asked about the prospect on Thursday, Ten Hag seemed to imply he is favour of the construction of a new ground.

“So if that is his view then I would say it expresses the ambition of this club, which is good,' said the Dutchman. “But it is not my task in this club to deal with stadium questions, with facilities. My job is to manage the team and rebuild the squad.”

As for Old Trafford, the club’s current ground has deteriorated significantly in recent years, with the Glazer performing no real upgrades in almost 20 years. The stadium, once among the most revered in the country, feels dilapidated now and visiting fans have adopted a chant which mockingly claims ‘Old Trafford is falling down’.

Old Trafford was also omitted from the list of stadiums set to host Euro 2028, with the ground feeling particularly dated in comparison to new grounds such as Manchester City's Etihad Stadium or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.