Manchester United will explore a naming rights deal for their new £2bn stadium as part of a “sanity, not vanity” approach to the project, the club’s stadium development chief has confirmed — while a £38m move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson hangs in the balance after a knee injury was detected during his medical.
Collette Roche, chief executive of Manchester United’s New Stadium Development, revealed the plans at the unveiling of a draft masterplan for the wider Old Trafford area. The 370-acre development will create 48,000 jobs and 15,000 new homes, with a 100,000-capacity stadium set to be built 350 yards from United’s current home on land the club acquired last month.
“Man Utd to explore naming rights for new £2bn stadium as part of 'sanity' project, while Ederson transfer at risk due to knee injury”
Roche insisted the “circus tent” design unveiled by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March 2025 had not been ditched, but was missing from the plans. The club will consult with designers Foster and Partners and fans over the next few months, with an update expected by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
“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.”
United’s need for revenue is pressing: the club is more than £1.3bn in debt from the Glazer takeover, revolving credit and outstanding transfer payments. A refinancing move last month added another $125m (£93.4m) to the amount owed, with repayments potentially rising to £50m a year.
On the pitch, Michael Carrick’s side are desperate for midfield reinforcements after losing Casemiro and seeing Manuel Ugarte pick up a serious knee injury at the World Cup. United had a £38m offer for Ederson accepted and agreed personal terms, but a knee injury spotted during the Brazilian’s medical has put the transfer at risk. Atalanta, confident in the player’s fitness, are preparing a new five-year contract for the 27-year-old should United walk away.
“There’s obviously work to do,” Carrick said at the end of last season, after guiding the club to third place. “It’s quite obvious, with certain players leaving, there’s a bit of work to do.”
The club have already been priced out of moves for Elliot Anderson (to Manchester City for £116m) and Sandro Tonali (to Tottenham for £100m), and saw Mateus Fernandes snub them for Spurs (£85m). A £48m deal for Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is close to completion, while Roma’s Manu Kone and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni remain linked.
Last season’s successful signings — Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens — helped Carwick secure a top-three finish. But with the club balancing colossal stadium costs and a mounting debt, every transfer decision carries extra weight.