Man United to increase Old Trafford to 88,000 and make it the second biggest stadium in Europe
Club would only trail Barcelona's Nou Camp in European domestic football if proposed plans go ahead
MANCHESTER UNITED want to increase Old Trafford to a massive 88,000 seats, according to reports.
Advances in technology mean that proposed plans to put an extra 7,500 seats in the Sir Bobby Charlton stand - the brunt of the increase - will no longer cost United as much as they once might have.
According to the , United want to add two quadrants to the stand which they would be able to build without reducing capacity.
BIGGEST STADIUMS IN EUROPE
- Nou Camp (Barcelona) - 99, 354
- Wembley Stadium (London) - 90,000
- Croke Park (Dublin) - 82,300
- Twickenham Stadium (London) - 82,000
- Westfalenstadion (Dortmund) - 81,359
- Stade de France (Saint-Denis) - 81,388
- San Siro (Milan) - 81,277
- Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid) - 81,044
- Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow) - 81,000
- Ataturk Olympic Stadium (Istanbul) 76,092
- Old Trafford (Manchester) - 75,643
Previously that was not possible as it would have required a tunnel and the demolition of houses - both at extreme cost.
The proposed increase would make Old Trafford the second biggest domestic football stadium in Europe, behind only Barcelona's Nou Camp (99,354).
The new plans could also include safe-standing areas, as supporters have already made it clear they favour it.
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But that would require a change in law.
Any increase would also see an increase in hospitality suites - with the club currently using Lancashire CCC for corporate packages.
On Tuesday the club announced that there would be an increase in the number of disabled seats at the ground, to 300.