First images of Man United's proposed new £2bn 100,000-seater stadium are unveiled at Labour Party conference

Manchester United's plans of a new Old Trafford have taken another step forward as the first images of their stadium regeneration have been revealed.

It was confirmed last month that the Red Devils wanted to press forward with a new ground in the same area as Old Trafford, rather than redeveloping the current 74,000-seater stadium.

Mail Sport revealed in August that the club have appointed famous British achitect Sir Norman Foster to create the blueprint to revamp the area owned by the club.

The 89-year-old's company, Foster and Partners, began working on initial proposals on the transformative project which would see a £2billion 100,000 capacity 'Wembley of the North' at the centre of it.

And in a new update on proceedings, the first designs of a regenerated area were made public at a Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday afternoon.

The first designs of a new Old Trafford were revealed at a Labour party conference on Monday

The new plans would see Manchester United move from their current 74,000-seater ground

Renowned architect Sir Norman Fostercould be tasked with designing a new Old Trafford

Former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, were at the conference as they seek backing to remove a freight rail terminal to free up space for development.

While speaking from the congress, Burnham outlined United's potential ambitions for the new stadium and how it can have a positive effect on the city.

'This would be the single most significant football location in the world,' Burnham told Sky Sports. 'It would mean the north west of England has the best football infrastructure of anywhere else on the planet.

'The jobs that would be clustered around this stadium would be huge, it would link into the media city. This would create a development on the west of Greater Manchester to balance what Manchester City have done in the east.

'It would get more freight on rail and more passenger benefits. What's not to like?'

It is understood that United have been assessing the options as to whether they should stay at their current home of Old Trafford, or build a new state-of-the-art venue next door to it.

The Glazer family had previously appointed Populous in 2022 to oversee a redevelopment of the 'Theatre of Dreams' and the surrounding area, and they drew up blueprints for their vision.

However, the company's involvement is believed to have gone quiet since INEOS arrived at the wheel and now Ratcliffe is ready to abandon plans to keep Old Trafford.

INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants a new stadium to be built in place of the current ground

Gary Neville (left) and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham (right), are seeking backing to remove a freight rail terminal to free up space for development.

Could this be a glimpse of a new home for Manchester United? 🔍

The Red Devils' plans to regenerate the Old Trafford area have taken another step forward today 🔴 pic.twitter.com/WQAu5PLcNO — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 23, 2024

Burnham, an Everton fan, believes that going in that direction could be beneficial for the club due to the possible obstacles that renovating an old stadium can provide.

'I can understand, as an Evertonian, the emotional appeal of regenerating your old spiritual home,' he continued. 'But sometimes it doesn't make sense because you can't have the best stadium in the world when you do that.

'Then also you get the disruption of trying to rebuild while you're still playing at that stadium, or you have to relocate away from it.

'So that obviously has to be considered against the cost of a new build and that's what the club is going through at this moment in time.

'What I could say to Manchester United supporters is that we want to help your club in if they are going for a new build, to do it as close to their spiritual home of Old Trafford.'

United's vision is to complement the Trafford Wharfside redevelopment and benefit the local community. They want the area to attract new residents and job opportunities.

On the east side of Greater Manchester, Man City have developed the Etihad Campus

Lord Foster, who was raised in Levenshulme, has already been tasked with overseeing a revamp worth £50m United's trainingground, Carrington.

He is well-known for his work designing the new Wembley, and also the Lusail Stadium, which hosted the World Cup final in Qatar last year.

Speaking about the redevelopment, Lord Foster said: 'As a proud Mancunian, I am passionate about the chance to rebuild on Manchester's great industrial heritage, creating a vibrant new mixed-use community, served by highly sustainable and improved transport links, providing homes and jobs for the local community, all catalysed by a world-class stadium for the world's most famous football team – Manchester United.'

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