Old Trafford expansion latest: Man Utd's new stadium dilemma, Jim Ratcliffe's plans, fan survey

Manchester United remain in the midst of a possible partial takeover, but what is the latest on a possible Old Trafford makeover? The Red Devils continue to battle crisis after crisis on and off the pitch this season, while takeover talks continue in the background.

Erik ten Hag has come under pressure, not helped by his bust-up with Jadon Sancho, while the club have come under criticism for their handling of the Mason Greenwood situation, and the takeover talks have rumbled on much longer than anyone expected. In the backgroound, there are still murmurings of an Old Trafford makeover, and here we round up all the latest on the situation.

Ratcliffe's hope

Jim Ratcliffe is said to be closing in on a 25% purchase of United that could hand him control of football operations at the club. There remains some disagreement over whether he will get a path to long-term ownership.

Either way, The Times report that Ratcliffe is keen to increase Old Trafford's capacity by 15,000 to 90,000, and that would entail makeovers at the seriously dated Old Trafford. Though, with Ratcliffe not getting control over United's financial department, he may not get to make any key decisions over Old Trafford, even if he is able to get in the Glazers' ears to make suggestions.

New stadium dilemma

United have been torn between expanding Old Trafford and building a new stadium, and it's not surprising when you factor in the cost comparisons. According to the Manchester Evening News, contractors Populous, who put together Tottenham's new stadium and Wembley, have done their research, informing United that a new stadium would cost around the same as a significant Old Trafford makeover and upgrade.

It's also claimed a new stadium would take around six years, which is four years less than the 10-years that would reportedly be required to fully redo Old Trafford in the way United would prefer. The Glazers haven't been responsible for any expansion at Old Trafford, but contractors are said to have assured the club that the capacity of the current ground can be expanded as per the club's wishes, with no real issues to expansion projects as long as the club are willing to be patient.

The Survey

As part of the consultations over Old Trafford, United sent out a survey to fans last July to find out what the fans would like to see addressed at the venue. Collette Roche, chief operating officer, said at the time: “We want to hear from as many fans as possible during this process to ensure we can capture all their views and understand what our supporters want from a world-class stadium in the future.”  

“This important survey is the first stage of our wider consultation with fans and will be followed by focus groups and further targeted surveys to make sure fan voice is at the heart of our decision-making process.”