Sir Jim Ratcliffe handed Man Utd stadium boost as Carabao Cup opportunity emerges

Manchester United have unveiled eye-catching plans to build a new stadium near OId Trafford and it appears that games are already being pencilled in for the future

Manchester United’s glitzy stadium could host a future Carabao Cup final as Sir Jim Ratcliffe gets his wish of a ‘Wembley of the North’.

The Red Devils recently unveiled plans for a stunning £2bn new arena in Old Trafford. The new stadium would be built close to United’s current home, while the current stadium would be demolished upon completion.

The regeneration project already has approval from the Government, with it involving huge renovation of the surrounding area. And it now appears that tentative plans are already being put in place for upcoming games.

Speaking to talkSPORT, EFL chairman Rick Parry has refused to rule out the new stadium hosting a Carabao Cup final as an alternative to Wembley. He said: “Well, it’s always nice to have an alternative.

“And it’s very exciting for the north. So exciting news, positive news. Again from the EFL’s point of view, the more that our biggest clubs grow and thrive, the stronger the game will be. So we always look on with interest, but that’s a few years away yet, but having alternatives is never a bad thing.”

Parry’s comments will be music to the ears of United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Even last year, the INEOS chief was expressing his desire for a ‘Wembley of the North’.

He said: “There’s a very good case, in my view, for having a stadium of the North, which would serve the northern part of the country in that arena of football. If you look at the number of Champions League the North West has won, it’s 10. London has won two.

“And yet everybody from the North has to get down to London to watch a big football match. And there should be one [a large stadium] in the North, in my view.

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“But it’s also important for the southern side of Manchester, you know, to regenerate. It’s the sort of second capital of the country where the Industrial Revolution began.

“But if you have a regeneration project, you need a nucleus or a regeneration project and having that world-class stadium there, I think would provide the impetus to regenerate that region.”

As it stands, there is no scheduled completion date for any new stadium, although there is hope that it could be opened within five years. That could potentially see the 2031 League Cup final pencilled in as a potential game.

Major finals have been held away from Wembley in the past, with the national stadium undergoing its own rebuild between 2000 and 2007. The Millennium Stadium hosted both the League Cup and FA Cup finals in that time.

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