Manchester United are leaning towards knocking down Old Trafford and building a new 100,000-capacity stadium as part of the biggest regeneration project in Europe.
A task force chaired by Lord Coe and featuring club representatives, former United defender Gary Neville and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has focused its discussions to date on a new stadium rather than redeveloping their current home, it is understood.
No firm decision has yet been taken, however, with the best way forward set to be determined by the task force before the end of the year.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made improving United’s facilities a priority since acquiring 25 per cent of the club earlier this year.
Redevelopment is the slightly cheaper option than a new build – estimated at £1.2bn compared to £2bn – but “is not perfect because you’re modifying a stadium that is slap bang up against a railway line”, Ratcliffe said in February.
He added: “There’s this wider conversation with the community as to whether you could use a more ambitious project on site as a catalyst to regenerate that Old Trafford area.
“There’s a strong case for using a stadium to regenerate that area, like with the Olympics, like Seb Coe did with that part of east London quite successfully. [Manchester] City have done it and they’ve done quite a good job.”
Sources close to the task force say the project has a broader scope than just the stadium and could represent the most ambitious regeneration project in Europe.
The task force met for the first time in April and is understood to have convened four times so far.
Additional reporting by PA.