Man Utd eye Madrid for inspiration for new Old Trafford

Old Trafford is in desperate need of refurbishment. Manchester United fans are crying out for it, having seen their stadium turn into a waterfall during a Premier League match against Arsenal in May.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe told the press that one of his priorities was to find a solution for the stadium after taking a 25% stake in United. The possibilities are several, but all drastic.

On the one hand, the club would have to carry out such a major refurbishment that it would have to close part of the capacity for most of the season, dropping from 70,000 to around 40,000 seats. On the other hand, the Red Devils are also considering demolishing Old Trafford and building a new stadium.

According to the 'Mirror', Manchester United will make a decision by the end of the year. Should they decide to build a new stadium, the aim would be to build a ground that rivals Wembley and would have around 100,000 seats by 2030 at a cost of around £2 billion.

One of the interesting points in all this is that INEOS is taking Real Madrid as an example. The same media outlet reports that United have already sent several workers to the Spanish capital to study the redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu, now considered one of the best stadiums in the world.

In addition to the Bernabeu, United workers have also visited the Camp Nou and have taken a close look at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the NFL's Rams and Chargers play.