Source:REUTERS/Scott Heppell
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, delays in the construction of Manchester United’s new stadium could push costs above £3 billion. When the project was announced a year ago, the club estimated the cost at £2 billion, but acquiring the land next to Old Trafford has proved a major obstacle. Manchester United is understood to have offered around £50 million, far below the £400 million demanded by the landowner, Freightliner. A compulsory purchase order could set a price, but even then, the project would take at least a decade to complete. Insiders believe minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe will need an extra £1 billion to fund the scheme. The stadium has already exceeded £3 billion in cost, and the price will keep rising. Large‑scale projects of this kind do not get cheaper; they only become more and more expensive. To begin with, only a limited number of companies are capable of delivering major stadium projects of this scale. From this point onward, completing the stadium will take ten years—and that is the most optimistic estimate.
The editor believes that Ratcliffe’s recent remarks claiming Britain has been “colonised by immigration” have not helped the club in influencing government decisions and local planning. His comments on immigration have also made the process even more difficult. At a time when the project is already fraught with challenges, these remarks will impact people’s decision-making.