New Manchester United chief Jim Ratcliffe suffers major setback in plans for Manchester United

Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has some massive plans for the club following his minority stake at the club.

One of his plans is the redevelopment of the Manchester United stadium.

However, Jim Ratcliffe’s plans to redevelop Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, or potentially build a new state-of-the-art venue, now face significant challenges, notably concerning the funding of such an expansive project.

Ratcliffe, whose investment in Manchester United is highlighted by a commitment to significantly improve Old Trafford, has proposed a vision to transform the stadium into a “Wembley of the North,” a plan that would address longstanding concerns about the facility’s condition.

Despite these ambitious intentions, the key issue lies in securing the necessary funding for the redevelopment, which could reach up to £1.5 billion.

This financial hurdle is compounded by the existing commitments made by Ratcliffe as part of his £1.03 billion investment in the club, which includes a £237 million allocation towards Old Trafford’s development, a commitment not fulfilled by the Glazer family since their 2005 acquisition of the club.

The prospect of obtaining government funding as part of the north-vs-south “levelling up” project has been mentioned, signaling the complexity and scale of the financial and logistical challenges facing Ratcliffe’s stadium plans​​.