Man Utd’s 7 options for temporary home as new £2bn stadium plan finally confirmed

Manchester United have unveiled stunning designs for their new 100,000-capacity £2billion stadium that they hope to move into in 2030 – but at some point they’ll have to find a temporary home while it’s being built

The ball is officially rolling on Manchester United’s new £2billion stadium after the club released pictures of what the 100,000-capacity arena will look like – with hopes it can be ready by 2030.

United will demolish their iconic Old Trafford home before rebuilding their new ground next door as part of an enormous regeneration of the area. The club estimate the stadium project will create up to 92,000 new jobs and 17,000 new homes, while attracting around 1.8million visitors annually.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has hailed the project and said United will soon have “the world’s greatest football stadium”, after unveiling designs which show the new arena being sheltered by a huge umbrella.

However, United might have to temporarily move out of Old Trafford while the stadium is being built – just as Tottenham did in the 2017-18 season when they progressed work on their £1bn ground that was also built on the same site.

So where could they end up playing?

Groundshare with Manchester City

This would be a move that is unlikely to go down well and City chiefs would likely be left in fits of laughter if their arch-rivals asked to share their stadium.

It’s not outside the realms of possibilities given that bitter rivals Inter and AC Milan both share San Siro and it would mean that United only have to travel to the other side of Manchester.

It would also solve the problem of United being able to fulfil anything close to their normal ticket revenue.

The size of the Etihad Stadium is a big appeal, with Pep Guardiola’s side boasting the seventh-largest football stadium in England and 11th-largest in the United Kingdom.

However, City are unlikely to allow a direct rival to use their stadium without a hefty fee, particularly not a direct rival.

Groundshare with Everton

By next season, Everton will have moved into their new 52,000-capacity stadium and left Goodison Park behind.

When United finally start looking for a temporary home, Everton will have become accustomed to their new surroundings for a number of years and enough time may have passed for the Toffees to be willing to share the ground.

Allowing United to use the arena would also provide them with extra income they desperately need as they look to pay off huge debts towards their own stadium building costs.

United’s rivalry with Everton is not nearly as intense as their feud with Liverpool, so it would be far easier to move into the Bramley Moore dock stadium than trying to share with Anfield.

Groundshare with Bolton

This is a feasible option, but the problem is the capacity. Bolton’s ground – presently named the Toughsheet Community Stadium – holds just 28,000, meaning the club would have to accept a significant reduction in matchday revenue for a short while.

Going to Bolton would also mean United don’t have to share with a Premier League rival while also not having to travel too far away.

The Toughsheet Community Stadium is less than a 30 minute drive from Old Trafford and is of Premier League standard.

There are also transport links to Bolton for Manchester United fans who need to travel their by train.

Emirates Old Trafford

This would be a left-field option to share with a cricket ground, though it would mean United don’t have to reach out to any football team and stay in Manchester at the same time.

Emirates Old Trafford is owned by Lancashire County Cricket Club, who might be open to allowing United to convert it into a football arena on matchdays.

However, both parties would have to work out the logistics of switching it back to a cricket ground and how much upheaval and cost would come into play.

The venue is less than a 10-minute walk away from Old Trafford – outside of the regeneration area – making it an ideal space for United to move to.

But the downside is that it only holds 22,000 for Test matches, which means United might have to pay extra for new stands and increase the capacity.

Wembley Stadium

It seems incredibly unlikely that Manchester United would commute down to London every other week – although it would delight rival fans who joke that most of their supporters hail from England’s capital.

Wembley was where Tottenham played for a season and a half while their 62,000- seater arena was being built and it served them well – allowing fans to immediately snatch up season tickets after being on the waiting list as they welcomed in a record 85,000 for Champions League nights.

The capacity would certainly be a big positive for United amid fears they will have to significantly scale down their matchday revenue while the stadium is being built.

Theoretically, United could base themselves in London for the time they need to be away from Old Trafford and use Wembley as their base, but the cost involved for fans to travel down to London would likely make it a non-starter.

Leigh Sports Village

The club would have to sacrifice the bulk of their matchday revenue but it is local and will not cross into the territory of any rivals. An existing agreement that sees the Under-21s and women’s teams play there would simplify matters too.

Its capacity is just 12,000, making it a similar size to Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, and terracing behind the goal would need to be adapted into seating to satisfy regulations.

Moor Lane

Or the club hierarchy could say to hell with it and do a deal with the Class of 92 to borrow Salford City’s Moor Lane. With a capacity of only 5,100 it would require some expansion but it is just four miles away and, if nothing else, make it an uncomfortable place for visiting players.

United’s matchday revenue remains the highest around despite the current stadium’s challenges – to say goodbye to that is highly improbable.

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