Manchester United’s ‘Wembley of the North’ stadium plan facing delays over land deal

While Freightliner is understood to have expressed a willingness to relocate from Trafford Park, the company is seeking around £400m for the land, with United valuing it at between £40m and £50m.

FADED GLORY: A limp corner flag displaying the Manchester United crest is seen at Old Trafford in Manchester. Pic: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United’s plans to build a 100,000-seat stadium next to Old Trafford are facing delays due to a standoff over the price of land needed to begin work on the construction of the proposed ground Sir Jim Ratcliffe has called “the Wembley of the North”. The club want land used as a rail freight terminal to complete the Old Trafford Regeneration Project, which they claim will bring £7.3bn a year to the UK economy.

United have held talks with Freightliner, the haulage company that owns and operates the terminal, about buying the land, but negotiations are deadlocked due to a disagreement over the price.