Sports
Manchester United announce plans for new 100,000-capacity stadium
Manchester United intend to build a 100,000-capacity new stadium rather than redevelop their existing Old Trafford home.
United announced the ambitious plans on Tuesday, with London-based architecture firm Fosters + Partners selected to lead the project.
The new-build will be situated on land surrounding Old Trafford, as part of a wider regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area. The club said in a press release that the new stadium and regeneration project have the potential to deliver an additional £7.3billion ($9.7bn) to the local economy, create 92,000 job opportunities and build more than 17,000 new homes, as well as drive an additional 1.8 million visitors annually.
The Old Trafford regeneration task force, which was set up to review options for the stadium and regeneration project, held a final meeting on Friday before being stood down.
Digital renders of what the new stadium and surrounding area could look like were unveiled by Foster + Partners on Tuesday. These included a three-pronged stadium canopy inspired by the Red Devils trident on the club’s badge. The conceptual images and scaled models will now provide “a masterplan for more detailed feasibility, consultation, design and planning work as the project enters a new phase”, the club said.
While it was determined that the capacity of a redeveloped Old Trafford could be as high as 87,000, it was found that a new build could accommodate as many as 100,000 supporters.
A survey of United supporters last year identified that 52 per cent of fans asked were in favour of building a new stadium from scratch, while 31 per cent preferred redevelopment.
“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s co-owner, said in the release.
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home,” Ratcliffe said.
“Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete. The government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.”
Ratcliffe expects “a five-year project rather than a 10 year” with the planned “modular build” — where structures are built elsewhere and shipped in — designed to significantly cut down the build time.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
The task force delivered its options report looking into the benefits of both a new build and a redeveloped stadium earlier this year.
The report concluded that while both options will “deliver transformative benefits for the club as well as Trafford and beyond”, those benefits would be “amplified under the new build option”.
“Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium,” chief executive Omar Berrada said. “We are grateful for the feasibility work done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force exploring options for the future of Old Trafford.
“We have carefully considered its findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community. We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Sir Alex Ferguson, the club’s legendary former manager and winner of 13 Premier League titles, said: “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in. Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”
Funding remains a significant question mark, with the cost of a newly-built stadium estimated at more than £2bn. As reported by The Athletic in June, United would consider selling the naming rights to their new home to help pay for the project.
“As a PLC we can’t speculate too much about the funding,” Berrada said in a briefing with reporters in London following Tuesday’s announcement. “What I will say is as a centrepiece it is a very attractive investment opportunity. We are very confident we will find a way to finance the stadium.”
Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) welcomed the plans but raised concerns and the need for consultation with fans as the project takes shape.
“The announcement of plans to build a brand new stadium adjacent to Old Trafford is clearly very big news for United fans. Everyone wants the biggest and the best for our club and the visuals look both stunning and exciting. But against the backdrop of uncertainty around next year’s ticket prices, continuing poor performance on the field, speculation around sales of key young players, and the recent financial results, the news probably does beg more questions than it gives clear answers,” a MUST spokesperson said.
“If they are able to produce a new stadium as stunning as the plans suggest without harming the atmosphere, without hiking ticket prices and without harming investment elsewhere, then this could be very exciting. But until the questions are answered, our optimism about plans to make Old Trafford the biggest and the best again will be restrained by caution about what the consequences for fans might be.”
‘The major question is how this will be paid for’
Analysis by Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell
This outcome was trailed as soon as Ratcliffe walked through the doors at Old Trafford. Last July in Los Angeles, senior United figures talked about the possibility of a new stadium reaching 100,000 capacity and Ratcliffe’s desire was clear then.
There is certainly appeal among the fanbase for a ‘New Trafford’ — especially with the urban regeneration plan alongside — but the view is not unanimous and many people will be sad that a ground holding so many memories is being left behind.
That being said, Ferguson’s support of the project, having been cut as an ambassador, is notable given he created so many of those moments etched in the club’s consciousness.
The major question is how the build will be paid for: acquiring more debt, via sponsorship, or through cash injected by INEOS? Ticket price rises would seem inevitable in this scenario, but extreme care has to be taken not to price out fans.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
The actual design of the stadium is crucial also. Old Trafford, for all its faults, has character and history. Many clubs have struggled when moving to new stadiums. Can some of the architecture be retained?
Ratcliffe hails Real Madrid’s Bernabeu and Barcelona’s Camp Nou, but both those grounds have been renovated on their original sites.
Lord Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said: “It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar. The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square.”
Keeping supporters close to the pitch feels essential to sustain that connection to the action.
But the renders put out by United are a dramatic shift from the current stadium and will be hugely divisive. The tent on top of the ground strikes as an odd juxtaposition amid the landscape and what came before.
A naming-rights deal and more debt?
Analysis by senior football news reporter Matt Slater
“Naming-rights deals are like free money for clubs, and those who do not have them are simply leaving money on the table,” Michael Weaver, an expert on sponsorship deals who heads up the valuation advisory team at Kroll’s London office, told The Athletic. “You only have to look at the United States, where almost every stadium is named after a sponsor, to see that.
“If Manchester United sold the naming rights to Old Trafford, our analysis suggests they would earn about £15m a year but you could double that for a new stadium. A naming-rights deal for, let’s say, 10 years, would cover a significant chunk of the construction costs and enable them to borrow money for the rest at a better interest rate. I don’t understand why they would not do a naming-rights deal.”
Who or what would fit at United’s new home? Would anyone even use the new name?
These questions are harder to answer and United fans are divided — but Arsenal fans have got used to the Emirates and Manchester City fans seem to have no problem with calling their home the Etihad.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
“INEOS might be a more palatable sponsor than someone else as Manchester United are already actively associated with INEOS and it would suggest that Ratcliffe’s company is fully committed and in it for the long haul,” suggests Weaver.
“Our research suggests that British fans are no longer as opposed to naming-rights deals as they were. Fans are becoming more financially literate with their clubs and they know what it takes to compete on the pitch, particularly if you are up against rivals backed by sovereign wealth funds. You have to squeeze out all of the juice.”
So, a naming-rights deal will help but what about the rest?
“It is going to be very expensive,” says Tim Williams, who was United’s group financial controller for five years until 2015. “I’m sure it will have to be funded by a mix of equity and debt. There will be no shortage of global banks and private-equity firms that want to lend United money but it will be interesting to see how much they borrow and where that debt sits.
“Debt is a very loaded term at United but it is normally better to put any stadium debt on the club’s books or a club subsidiary. Separating club and stadium rarely works in the long term.”
(Top photo: Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Tom Harp has been coaching volleyball at Granada Hills High for so long that few remember he won a City Section championship as a co-head football coach with Darryl Stroh in 1987.
In the 1990s, he turned exclusively to coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball, winning a combined 15 City titles and making 28 finals appearances. The top-seeded Highlanders will try to deliver a seventh Open Division championship on Saturday when they face West Valley League rival Chatsworth in a 4 p.m. final at Birmingham.
The league rivals split their two West Valley matches, with each going five games. Chatsworth knocked off 17-time champion Palisades in the semifinals. MIT-bound Grant Chang is Chatsworth’s 6-foot-6 powerful outside hitter.
All-City volleyball player RJ Francisco of Granada Hills shows off his hitting skills against Chatsworth.
(Craig Weston)
Granada Hills has RJ Francisco, who had 19 kills in a win over Chatsworth.
The Southern Section Division 1 final is Friday night, with Mira Costa taking on Loyola in a 7:30 p.m. match at Cerritos College.
Regional and state playoffs begin next week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Cedric Alexander becomes new TNA X Division champion, crushing Leon Slater’s history-making attempt
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All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.
Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.
Cedric Alexander in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.
Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.
Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.
Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.
Leon Slater enters the arena during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.
Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”
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Fabian Aichner appears
Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci, makes his way to the ring during WWE SmackDown at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. (WWE/Getty Images)
Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.
Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.
Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.
Eric Young earns future shot at TNA World Championship
Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.
The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.
Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.
The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.
He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.
“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.
Mike Santana learns his next opponent
Mike Santana stands in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”
While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.
Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.
Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside rivalry heats up
Xia Brookside attends the “Freelance” screening at Regal Waterford Lakes in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2023. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)
Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.
In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.
“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”
Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.
AJ Francis prevails over KC Navarro
A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.
While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.
It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.
Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.
He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.
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“Impact” match results
- Eric Young wins the 10-man battle royal to earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
- A.J. Francis def. KC Navarro in a SacTown Street Fight.
- Rosemary and Allie def. Veronica Crawford and Mila Moore
- Cedric Alexander def. Leon Slater to win the X Division Championship.
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