Manchester United could demolish Old Trafford if a Qatari takeover is successful at the club.
The Red Devils are expecting a bid for the club in the coming days, with owners the Glazer family setting a deadline of mid-February for interest in the 13-time Premier League champions. If successful, Middle Eastern ownerships would be in control of United, Manchester City and Newcastle United – three of the current top four.
There has been talk of handing Erik ten Hag an enormous transfer kitty with which to shape his squad – though the plans for the stadium are perhaps most intriguing.
The Mail states that over £2 billion could be injected to "redevelop Old Trafford, or knock down the iconic venue and build a new state-of-the-art facility."
In the past, former club captain Gary Neville has stated that the stadium is "rusting", providing a metaphor for the Glazers' ownership of a club which has stagnated after a decade without a Premier League trophy.
Neville has also stated that he'd back a plan to knock the ground down, despite Old Trafford being the biggest stadium in club football in England right now. Corporate seats are set to be removed from the Stretford End under the Glazers' watch.
Tottenham Hotspur's state-of-the-art stadium – one of the newest to have opened in the Premier League – cost close to £1bn to construct. United having a project worth twice as much would most likely deliver the biggest stadium in England.
Certain parts of Old Trafford are difficult to extend or redevelop, due to a train line behind the ground itself.
Along with a Qatari-based bid, United are expecting interest from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ligue 1 side Nice and UFC star Conor McGregor – both of whom claim to be long-standing United supporters.
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Formal bids are set to be submitted to buy United. The club had a quiet January window but brought in Marcel Sabitzer on deadline day after Christian Eriksen picked up a long-term injury.
Former United chairman Martin Edwards, meanwhile, has spoken to FFT about how the club's 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup victory helped changed the perception of English football across the continent.
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