Manchester United are considering a naming rights deal for their proposed new stadium as part of plans to fund the estimated £2 billion project, club officials have confirmed.
The proposal was revealed by Manchester United’s New Stadium Development chief executive, Collette Roche, during the unveiling of a draft masterplan for the wider Old Trafford regeneration project.
The proposed development includes a new 100,000-capacity stadium, which will be built about 350 yards from the club’s current home on land acquired last month. The wider 370-acre regeneration project is expected to create about 48,000 jobs and 15,000 new homes.
Naming rights under consideration
Roche said the club is exploring new revenue streams, including a potential naming rights agreement similar to those adopted by Arsenal and Manchester City for their stadiums.
“We’ve been really clear from the onset, this needs to be a sanity project, not a vanity project,” Roche said.
“I don’t know what the stadium will be called, but we’ve been really vocal that we are going to potentially look at naming rights to the stadium.
“It’s an important revenue stream and something we’ve discussed with our fan advisory board.
“Everybody realises affordable, accessible ticket prices are really important. In order to do that, we need to generate revenue streams in other places.
“Everyone said building a new stadium is going to be really expensive.”
Funding plans still being assessed
Roche stressed that no final decisions have been made on how the project will be financed.
Manchester United are currently carrying debts of more than £1.3 billion, resulting from legacy costs linked to the Glazer family’s takeover in 2005, revolving credit facilities and outstanding transfer payments.
She said the club remains open to several funding options, including debt, equity, shares and external investment.
“There’s not a price. I can’t go and get a quote on this right now. We have to go through the design process. It’s not helpful to suddenly throw a figure out there.
“We’ve still got all the funding options available to us. We can have debt, equity, shares, other investors. We’ve had a lot of approaches as you’d expect.
“We are not worried about the level of interest. We need to know how much it’s going to cost and then what’s the best way to pay for it,” Roche said.
Stadium design still evolving
The draft masterplan marks the first time the club has identified the exact location of the proposed stadium. However, the “circus tent” concept unveiled by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March 2025 was absent from the latest plans.
Roche said discussions with architects Foster and Partners will continue over the coming months, with the club hoping to present updated designs to supporters by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
She added that Manchester United’s recent £50 million redevelopment of the Carrington training ground, completed on time and below budget in August 2025, demonstrated the club’s commitment to financial discipline.
Wider regeneration project
Trafford Council leader, Tom Ross, said the wider regeneration scheme will continue regardless of the outcome of the Greater Manchester mayoral election later this month.
He also confirmed that discussions with Freightliner over nearby land would continue, despite the club choosing an alternative location for the stadium.
Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada also attended the presentation. Roche dismissed suggestions that the project could be shelved, insisting the club had already made significant progress.
She also ruled out the use of public funds to build the stadium.
“That’s not something that we ever wanted to do or thought about,” Roche said.
“We, as a football club, need to stand on our own two feet. We need to pay for our stadium for a whole host of reasons.
“However, this project is massive. It’s a lot bigger than the stadium. What we can’t do is pay for a new train station or new infrastructure. Our funds will go on the stadium.”
