Old Trafford's capacity could be increased to 88,000 if Man Utd sale goes ahead

The capacity of Old Trafford, the home stadium of Manchester United, could be increased if a sale of the club goes ahead, according to reports.

The United takeover race is continuing at pace, with bids from Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim - through his foundation - Sir Jim Ratcliffe/Ineos and Elliott Management all being submitted around the second deadline.

There has also been an increased offer from Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus, who was a relatively late entrant into the process with a proposal that would see fans involved in decision making through purchasing half of the club.

A major criticism of the club's current owners, the Glazer family, surrounds their lack of investment into the stadium, and its facilities.

But a new report claims that redeveloping the iconic ground could be a priority if new ownership or investment comes in to the club.

Old Trafford capacity could increase

It is claimed, however, that such a process would cost between £1-2 billion. An expansion of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand is said to be priced in the region of £200 million, and could allow the capacity of the ground to increase to 88,000.

Currently, the stand has a capacity of 9,400, with around 12,000 seats being added in the process of any redevelopment to hit the 88,000 mark.

The Times also report that this latter option makes the Elliott bid for a minority stake 'attractive' to the Glazers, with their bid regarded as a 'significant development'.

Redevelopment of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand has been discussed previously, with the club announcing in April 2022 that they had appointed planners to oversee a potential revamp of the stadium.