Man Utd planning for Carrington exit as Sir Jim Ratcliffe eyes 'world-leading' facility

Manchester United could soon leave their Carrington training base with reports suggesting local golf clubs are being eyed for a potential move.

United have been training at Carrington since making the upgrade in 1999. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, they previously trained at The Cliff and it was there that the likes of Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham developed.

Carrington was an elite training base when United first moved there but that was at the end of last century and despite some modernisations through the years, it has now fallen behind. 18 years of Glazer ownership and the lack of investment that comes with it has not helped.

The likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have both unveiled brand new state-of-the-art facilities in recent years and their performances on the pitch have reflected such investments. And now The Daily Mail reports that United could follow suit with club officials scouting out golf courses in the South Manchester area.

The report adds that talks were held with High Legh Park Golf Club which is situated in Knutsford, close to places like Hale and Alderley Edge where many United players - and others from across the Premier League - currently live. No agreement was reached, however.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will look to improve the club in every possible area, once his investment into the club is fully ratified by the Premier League. Despite taking on a minority stake - just over 27% according to recent filings - he will gain complete control of footballing operations and already has INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford carrying out an audit of the club.

Options are said to remain open with suggestions that United could move the first-team into a new facility while keeping the women’s side and academy at Carrington, although the preference is to have everyone in one area for continuity.

Mags Mernagh has been working alongside United's chief operating officer Collette Roche in overseeing the project, having joined the club in 2022. Mernagh is credited with designing Leicester City's training ground back in 2020, which is widely regarded as one of the best in the world.