Manchester United's new stadium plan is moving, but it is still in the preparation stage. Omar Berrada said the club must secure the land before the design is finalised and the potential cost is properly understood. The club also says the build will be privately financed, while Collette Roche says the project needs one or two years to get ready for construction.
Why the land deal still comes first
Berrada was clear about the order of work. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said, "Once we've secured the land and we know the exact location of where the new stadium could be, then we will proceed to finalise the design at the stadium, which will then lead us to have a very good understanding of what the potential cost is."
That means the big reveal is still some way off. The headline number attached to the land has been played down by Andy Burnham, who said, "I think everyone should file that one away." He was also firm that "Manchester United will be paying for the stadium. There will not be a penny of public money going into that."
Roche added that the club has already spent the last 12 months making progress, but mostly out of sight. Her point was simple enough: land assembly has been the main advance so far, and the club wants enough surrounding space to fit the right facilities and improve the matchday experience.
What United are actually saying about timing
The timeline is still more cautious than some of the noise around the project. Roche said the club originally talked about a four-to-five-year construction period, but that there would first be one or two years of preparation to get the land assembled, the funds in place and planning permission secured.
United's own spokesperson said the proposed new stadium will be financed privately, with positive conversations ongoing with potential investors and other stakeholders. That is the key detail here. The project is not waiting on a public funding model or a fixed opening date, it is waiting on the basics to be lined up properly.
The club's position is also easier to read when set against the scale of what it is trying to build. Manchester United are third in the Premier League with 68 points from 37 matches and a +16 goal difference, with four wins in their last five league matches. The football side is in a decent place. The stadium side is still about land, design, planning and privately sourced money.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →