Sir Jim Ratcliffe gets major Manchester United boost as 'world-class' Old Trafford plan confirmed

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans for Manchester United are taking a new step after the latest announcement from the local council.

It was announced by Trafford Council on Friday that "ambitious" plans are being put in place to regenerate the area around Old Trafford. The update comes just days after Ineos Group and Ratcliffe's 25 per cent takeover of United was officially approved by the Premier League.

The announcement from the council will see the area around Old Trafford regenerated in the years to come, and could lead to redevelopment of the stadium itself. MEN Sport understands though, that renovation of the 75,000-capacity stadium could prove difficult due to the nearby railway line.

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While the update from the council will focus on the area surrounding the stadium, the plans will also affect Old Trafford itself. The announcement states that the regeneration will create a "high-quality setting for Manchester United as they develop their plans for a world-class football stadium".

In the 'Stadium District' part of the plans, United's stadium is described as a 'key asset' - with the plans outlining a new 'processional route' to the stadium, north along Sir Matt Busby Way.

"Development for the Stadium Quarter will be guided by the presence of the stadium itself. Improved public realm and green space will be in its immediate proximity, with the opportunity for mixed-use residential development further outwards within the zone," says the report.

The plans include a major new 'world-class public space' framing the whole of the stadium - 'designed to accommodate