Manchester United start plans to expand and modernise Old Trafford

Manchester United have promised to keep fans 'at the heart of the process' of redeveloping Old Trafford following the announcement that they have appointed a team of consultants to lead the task.

United revealed on Thursday that they had hired a team of leading consultants to begin work on creating a masterplan for the redevelopment of Old Trafford.

The stadium redevelopment team will be led by Legends International and Populous , companies described by the club as both having a wealth of stadium development experience from across the globe.

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Legends International were appointed by Tottenham to undertake an initial stadium viability assessment for their new stadium, which opened in 2019 and is considered one of the best stadiums in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona have also appointed the group to modernise the Bernabeu and Camp Nou, while the group also oversaw the restructuring of Liverpool's main stand at Anfield in 2016.

Work is set to begin immediately on identifying development options for Old Trafford and studying their feasibility, with the aim of significantly enhancing the fan experience.

The appointment represents the first significant step towards redeveloping Old Trafford, with United also committed to enhancing their Carrington training complex.

United are open-minded about options regarding the stadium's renovation but their focus is on modernisation and potential expansion. Should United increase the capacity from 76,000, it would mark the first capacity increase since 2006.

Old Trafford has not been expanded since the north-west and north-east quadrants were installed in 2006. The club confirmed plans to build the quadrants