With the news this week that Manchester United’s new stadium plans would cost £2 billion, Instant Casinos has compared the astronomical proposed cost with other Premier League stadiums.
Even after adjusting construction costs for inflation, United’s new ground would cost nearly double that of Tottenham’s £1 billion stadium, and three times that of any other rivals’.
Set to hold 100,000 seats, the ‘new’ Old Trafford would become the biggest stadium in the UK, overtaking Wembley’s 90,000 capacity.
According to experts, rising building costs could see United fork out even more by the time the project is completed, with plans suggesting a 2030 opening of the new ground.
We spoke to a civil and structural engineer, who explained the knock-on effect that soaring energy prices has had on the construction industry.
Below, Instant Casinos has listed every known Premier League ground’s construction costs, with prices adjusted for inflation in today’s money using the Bank of England’s inflation calculator.
Premier League Stadium Build Costs Adjusted For Inflation
| Club | Stadium | Year Built | Build Cost | Adj. Inflation |
| Manchester United | TBC | 2030 | £2,000,000,000 |
|
| Tottenham | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | 2019 | £1,000,000,000 | £1,240,000,000 |
| West Ham | London Stadium | 2012 | £486,000,000 | £678,330,000 |
| Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | 2006 | £390,000,000 | £654,000,000 |
| Manchester City | Etihad Stadium | 2003 | £144,000,000 | £255,630,000 |
| Brighton | Amex Stadium | 2011 | £93,000,000 | £133,470,000 |
| Brentford | Gtech Community Stadium | 2020 | £71,000,000 | £87,540,000 |
| Leicester City | King Power Stadium | 2002 | £36,000,000 | £64,780,000 |
| Southampton | St Mary’s | 2001 | £32,000,000 | £58,310,000 |
| Wolves | Molineux | 2012 | £18,000,000 | £25,000,000 |
| Bournemouth | Vitality Stadium | 2001 | £6,500,000 | £11,843,317 |
| Manchester United | Old Trafford | 1909 | £90,000 | £8,989,705 |
| Aston Villa | Villa Park | 1897 | £16,733 | £1,825,076 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 1923 | £30,000 | £1,522,320 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | 1892 | £3,000 | £319,858 |
Inflation adjusted figures are determined using Bank of England inflation calculator.
Some clubs have been omitted due to a lack of information on their ground’s construction costs, having built and redeveloped their stadiums gradually since the 1800s.
Rising Construction Costs Sting
Recent years have seen a sharp increase in building costs, which may rise further before United’s new ground is completed.
A number of factors have caused this, as explained by Sam Walder, a civil and structural engineer working in the UK water industry.
He said: “Global energy prices have gone up sharply recently due to political turmoil, which in turn has seen an increase in the cost of raw materials and capital expenditure on construction projects.”
“These energy price increases have also affected operational expenses, with it now costing more to run the plant used during construction.”
Walder added: “The UK in particular is also suffering from a skills shortage, with Brexit and a lack of investment forcing companies to rely on more experienced and more expensive contractors to undertake work that could otherwise be done cheaper by graduates.”
Manchester United’s New Stadium: Rebuild Or Redevelop?
Although many expect plans to be ratified by the end of the year, no decision has yet been made by Manchester United.
There remains the choice between rebuilding Old Trafford from scratch, or redeveloping the current stadium.
The estimated cost of even redeveloping their existing ground stands at an eye-watering £1.1 billion, with far less to be gained in the long term.
Iconic Stadiums Dying Out
While there are still many clubs playing at their historic homes, ten of the current 20 Premier League clubs have rebuilt or moved stadiums in the 21st century.
Should United opt to do the same, it will mean the majority of top-flight teams no longer play at their ancestral home grounds.
With Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park celebrating its centenary last year, ten of the 20 grounds were first opened more than 100 years ago.
Although they have of course been heavily expanded and redeveloped in that time, it seems likely that more of these iconic stadiums may soon be replaced altogether.
