Man Utd's 'stance' on Carrington exit detailed amid 'world-leading' claim

Manchester United are said to have held discussions over a new training facility. with reports suggesting they are 'open' to leaving Carrington.

United have been at their current training base since 2000 but despite it once being a state-of-the-art facility, the lack of consistent investment under the Glazer family has seen it stagnate while other clubs modernise. Premier League rivals such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham have unveiled new centres and reaped the rewards in recent years.

Reports last week revealed that the club had been scouting local golf clubs for a potential move as they look to build a 'world-leading facility. Spaces in the South Manchester area have been of particular interest, given the close proximity to places like Hale and Alderley Edge where many United players - and others from across the Premier League - currently live.

And now The Manchester Evening News is reporting that United chiefs are open to leaving Carrington amid concerns they cannot improve the facility any further. The location of the base, with a country lane on one side and potentially unusable farmland elsewhere, makes expansion difficult.

Another key example of investment into facilities comes at Leicester City, whose Seagrave training complex, opened in 2021, is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. Mags Mernagh led that development and is now working alongside United's chief operating officer Collette Roche in overseeing a similar role.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning to improve every aspect of the club once his 25 per cent stake is fully ratified by the Premier League. The INEOS chief will be a minority shareholder but is planning to take complete control of footballing operations at the club.

INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford has already been carrying out an audit of the club in order to identify key areas to improve. And the club's training centre will likely be identified, having received little investment in recent years. There have been some refurbishments for the first-team areas but the biggest investment came last year, to the tune of £9million for the women's and academy teams.