Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have a huge decision to make regarding Manchester United and Old Trafford.
Since 1910, Old Trafford has been the home of Manchester United, but that could all change soon if Ineos move ahead with plans for a new stadium.
A taskforce set up by Ineos that includes club legend Gary Neville and Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham have been tasked with assessing a new state-of-the-art stadium that could have a capacity as big as 100,000.
According to BBC Sport, Manchester United will decide on the future of the club’s stadium by the end of 2024. Now that the summer transfer window is out of the way, the club’s hierarchy can turn their attention to that decision.
It could have a monumental impact on the club’s finances, with expert Adam Williams calculating that a new stadium could earn United up to £230m per year.
Paul Scholes weighs in on Man United stadium debate
While there are plenty of perks that come with a new stadium, abandoning the history and heritage of Old Trafford would be a controversial decision.
Former United striker Andy Cole has already given his verdict on the stadium debate, and Paul Scholes has now had his say.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Scholes said: “The stadium is behind so many clubs. We’ve spoken before about the history of the club, Old Trafford and what has happened there, but if you look in 20 years and we have an amazing stadium, I don’t think people will talk about it.
“They need to have a stadium that fits the club because it’s fallen behind.
“I’d probably be in favour of knocking it down and going again. As much as you don’t want that to happen because of everything that has happened there in your life, but as Nicky said, if you add bits all the time as they have done with the training ground, it’s not going to be right.”
Paul Scholes sends warning to Ineos about Old Trafford
Despite spending the entirety of his career playing at Old Trafford, Scholes has made it clear that he would prefer a new stadium to be built.
It’s always going to be a tough decision to make, but under the Glazers the 74,310-capacity venue has been forgotten about and the leaky roof has become a topic of embarrassment.
As Scholes warned, expanding Old Trafford and adding bits is just an expensive short-term fix for a long-term issue. Ineos have a big decision to make but expanding Old Trafford would be the wrong choice.
READ MORE: Viral video shows Man United ready to tap into £77bn goldmine with Old Trafford rebuild
The club is heading in the right direction under Ineos and building a new stadium – the largest in the country – would be a huge statement of intent.
It could give the club a big lift and allow United to write a new chapter under new owners.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
