How firm behind Tottenham and Wembley could give Old Trafford £2bn revamp – with legendary Man Utd stadium demolished
MANCHESTER UNITED could soon boast one of the most impressive stadiums in the world.
Old Trafford has been the subject of much conversation in recent years with United fans growing tired with the ageing ground.
And now, after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment into the club, it could be completely transformed.
Architectural design company Populous are the firm behind some of the most cutting-edge and impressive stadiums in the world.
From the brand new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the iconic Wembley arch, Populous always seem to get it right when they help develop a new ground.
And the global company have set their sights on improving Old Trafford by putting together three plans for the historic stadium.
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The home of the Red Devils was opened back in 1910 and was last renovated over 15 years ago.
In recent times it has become clear that work is needed on the ground with roof leaks being filmed by fans.
Two of the three plans put forward by Populous would involve either a relatively small makeover project or an expansion of the south stand and complete redevelopment of the rest of the ground.
While the third option would mean the whole stadium is demolished and replaced with an entirely new arena in its place.
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And Populous CEO Chris Lee has recommended that Ratcliffe and the executives at Man Utd opt for the construction of a new ground.
The idea would be one that would excite many Man Utd fans with the prospect of a state-of-the-art stadium arriving in Manchester that would match the club's stature and ambitions.
Although others may feel that waving goodbye to what is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world is something too hard to do.
If the plans were to go ahead then United fans could expect big things with CEO Lee telling that the new stadium would be "innovative and exciting".
Populous is not short on innovation as the team behind the unusual, but eye-catching Sphere arena in Las Vegas.
And Lee that his company believes that technology is at the forefront when it comes to the future of watching sport.
He said: "The truth is, the future of watching sport will involve technology, lots of technology."
But it doesn't mean that the new Old Trafford will be covered in screens that illuminate the streets surrounding the Theatre of Dreams.
Populous have already managed to pull off stadiums that keep tradition, atmosphere and comfort at the top of list of priorities for fans.
The firm were behind the design of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium back in 2006 before aiding North London rivals Spurs in the construction of their 62,850 seat ground..
And Lee made it clear that his goal was to do more than just design a concrete bowl that could bring as many fans through the ticket gates as possible.
He said: "When we did the Emirates it was a critical part of a plan to link Lower Holloway to Islington, there are going to be 4500 new homes built around Spurs,
"Wembley is undergoing a huge redevelopment of what was a pretty woeful area of decay.
“English football used to be guilty of seeing its spectators as a captive audience, you know ‘we’ll treat you how we want to treat you and you’ll still come back’,
“The change over the last 30 years has been to recognise that fans are customers with choice.”
United fans will be hoping that if the powers that be in the boardroom opt for a new stadium then they will be treated to something extraordinary.
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But it won't come cheap with the estimated cost of building a new ground sitting at around £2BILLION.
While a redevelopment is reported to be expected to cost somewhere in the region of £800million and could take up to eight years to complete.
