Manchester United's plans for Old Trafford will speak volumes about future of Women's team

Every other Sunday, the Whistling Wren pub in Leigh transforms into a riot of red, white and black as hordes of Manchester United fans converge for a pre-match tipple.

The venue is a stone's throw away from Leigh Sports Village; the home of United's Under-21s since 2014 and its Women's team since 2018. For supporters of the latter, the place very much feels like home. After all, the 12,000 capacity stadium has played host to some of the biggest games in the club's history.

It was there in April 2019 that the Reds' secured promotion to the Women's Super League (WSL) with a 5-0 dispatch of Aston Villa, while United's maiden outing in the UEFA Women's Champions League also arrived in that particular pocket of Greater Manchester. But while the stadium has quickly established itself as the spiritual home of United Women, the current discourse around the future of Old Trafford perhaps provides an opportunity to consider where exactly the long-term future of Marc Skinner's side should lie.

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With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ purchase of a minority stake in the club having this week received approval from both the Premier League and the Football Association (FA), the dawn of a bright new era for Manchester United now seems, at long last, a distinct possibility. Chief among Ratcliffe's priorities is ensuring Erik ten Hag's side have a world-class stadium to rival any of their European counterparts, with the debate over whether to renovate Old Trafford or build a brand new venue having divided opinion in some quarters of the club's fanbase.

The Manchester Evening News reported last week that United have been advised