Manchester United 'have decision to make later this year' as mayor makes key Old Trafford promise

Manchester United ‘have a decision to make this year’ on the future of Old Trafford after the government backed plans to transform the area.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed plans to either refurbish the Theatre of Dreams into an 82,000-seat stadium or build a new 100,000 arena earlier this week. Andy Burnham also confirmed plans to redevelop the area around the stadium, whatever club chiefs decide.

Both national and local officials have said the Red Devils would not get any public money for the stadium, but are prepared to invest in new transport infrastructure, homes, and leisure facilities.

“It’s hugely significant that the government has signalled its support,” Andy Burnham told a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meeting on Friday (January 31).

“It’s still early days. This helps Manchester United in terms of the decision they have to make later this year on whether to refurbish or build new. It’s a huge boost for the city-region.”

The meeting of Greater Manchester leaders approved plans to form a ‘Mayoral Development Corporation’ to ‘develop land and bring forward new infrastructure’ around Old Trafford.

A key stumbling block in Andy Burnham’s ambitions is moving a freight rail depot behind the ground to an under-construction freight project called ILP North, on the border of Wigan and St Helena.

He has suggested some public cash would pay for that: “I take very seriously the point about public money. I want to give the Combined Authority a commitment there will be maximum transparency about this matter and the purpose of the public money to achieve wider public benefit.

“I am completely confident in saying to you it’s very easy to demonstrate the wider public benefits. If we were able to remove those