Soccer-Manchester United secure land for new 100,000-seater stadium


FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off Second Leg - Manchester United v FC Barcelona - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 23, 2023 General view of a corner flag inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo

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June 23 (Reuters) - Manchester United have secured the majority ⁠of the land needed for their new 100,000-seater stadium, the Premier ‌League club said on Monday.

United had announced plans last year to build the 2 billion pound ($2.65 billion) stadium, which would be the largest in Britain, next to the existing Old ​Trafford.

The club said it had acquired a 25-acre ⁠site, located approximately 350 metres (about ⁠a quarter-mile) north-west of Old Trafford, from industrial space provider Indurent and a ⁠Blackstone ‌portfolio company.

"Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are ⁠so important to our fans," Collette Roche, the CEO ​of United's new stadium ‌development, said in a statement.

"We are committed to building a world-class ⁠stadium with ​our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of our thinking.

Old Trafford has been home to the 13-time English Premier League ⁠champions since 1910. The stadium, which seats more ​than 74,000, has not undergone any major redevelopment since 2006 and has also faced issues including a leaking roof, inadequate drainage and rodent sightings.

Minority owner Jim ⁠Ratcliffe, who holds a roughly 29% stake and oversees football operations, has favoured building a brand-new stadium over renovating Old Trafford.

United CEO Omar Berrada said in March last year the investment in the new stadium could affect ​squad spending and competitiveness for five years.

After struggling ⁠to replicate the success achieved under Alex Ferguson on and off the pitch, ​United's finished third in the recently concluded season ‌under Michael Carrick, securing a berth ​in the Champions League for the first time in two seasons.

($1 = 0.7552 pounds)

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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