Ratcliffe in ‘Wembley of the North’ talks

Jim Ratcliffe has met with Labour leader Keir Starmer to discuss Manchester United’s plans for a potential new stadium and regeneration of the wider Trafford Park area.

Ratcliffe has convened a special task force headed by Sebastian Coe to explore the possibility of creating a world-leading “Wembley of the North” stadium as the centrepiece of a thriving sports, leisure and business campus.

United could lobby for public money and Ratcliffe outlined what he has previously called a “once in a century” opportunity to Starmer − who could yet become the country’s next Prime Minister

− before United’s Premier League game against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Starmer, an Arsenal fan, was at the game as a guest of Andy Burnham, the recentlyre-electedMayorofGreaterManchester who is also on the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force and joined in the talks with the Labour leader.

A United source said: “At this stage, the focal point of the project is the development of a world-class football stadium.

“But undoubtedly a wider opportunity exists to regenerate Trafford Park into a thriving sports, leisure and business campus − delivering huge positive social and economic benefits for the community and the region.

“The meeting is part of the ongoing engagement with political leaders on a national, regional, and local level as the task force continues to explore the options for the project.”

Ratcliffe favours a new build over redevelopment of United’s existing Old Trafford home but the viability of the project is currently being explored by the task force, which also includes former United captain Gary Neville.

Burnham said in March that the project could have a bigger impact on the west of Manchester than the 2012 Olympics had on east London and should demand public money as potentially the biggest regeneration project in the history of the north of England. (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd, 2024)