Sir Jim Ratcliffe will follow Liverpool’s lead by opting to redevelop Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium instead of building a new ground. British billionaire Ratcliffe is expected to soon have his £1.4billion bid for 25 per cent of the stricken Premier League club ratified by the Red Devils hierarchy and will immediately begin an overhaul of the sporting department.
Rumours that United could build a new venue in Manchester have persevered for the past decade. However, a brand-new arena would likely cost upwards of £1.5billion and could prove drastically too extortionate in the early periods of Ratcliffe’s tenure.
Instead, the petrochemicals giant reportedly has plans to look into redeveloping Old Trafford. The 71-year-old is claimed to want to spend time exploring ways to expand the stadium and improve its facilities
According to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe will go down the same path as Liverpool’s owners FSG, who decided against building a costly new stadium and instead renovated Anfield. Those improvements have at times come at a cost, with the completion of the current expansion of the Anfield Road stand delayed until the New Year.
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