'Wembley of The North' - Manchester United Co-Owner Jim Ratcliffe Planning Complete Overhaul of Old Trafford

Manchester United’s new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to have proposed to make some huge changes at the club to turn it into the ‘Wembley of the North’. As per The Telegraph, one of the many things that Ratcliffe intends to improve since buying a 25 percent stake in Manchester United is their out-of-date stadium. This is what some sources close to Ratcliffe told Telegraph Sport, “He feels the club needs an absolute state-of-the-art, knock-it-out-of-the-park, ‘wow’ stadium…And we feel there’s a strong argument for the country having a top-class major venue in the North – a Wembley of the North”.

As per the same report, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has strongly opposed the idea of relocating the new stadium. The billionaire believes that Manchester United supporters will likely be ‘amenable’ to the idea of a new stadium constructed on the land that is immediately surrounding Old Trafford. This means that the new stadium would now be placed between railway lines that go past the current ground and the Bridgewater Canal. Redeveloping the stadium and expanding it is also one of the options on the table but there are concerns over making changes to a building that is already over 114 years old.

Old Trafford is easily amongst one of the most important and iconic stadiums in the history of the game. Yet, the biggest stadium in British football has been lagging behind Manchester United’s rivals when it comes to providing modern facilities. On the contrary, there have been several complaints of a leaking roof, inadequate space between seats and crumbling concrete paint. Hence, it just might be the right time to revamp the 114-year-old stadium.

This would also help in creating jobs and boosting the local economy. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly already begun a dialogue with Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Great Manchester as his team continue to explore more financial options. He will also be looking to lobby the UK government to help fund the construction of the new stadium amid Westminister’s ‘Levelling Up’ pledges.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been dedicated to making some strides for Manchester United since acquiring a stake in the club. The British billionaire was recently spotted at Old Trafford, during the 66th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.