Manchester United's iconic Old Trafford stadium could be demolished if Qatari group buys the club- Reports

With Qatari investors reportedly eyeing a takeover of Manchester United, the club's iconic Old Trafford stadium could be demolished and rebuilt.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is known to be a fan of the Red Devils and, according to a Daily Mail report, the oil-rich state is looking to buy the club from the Glazer family.

According to the Daily Star, if the acquisition is successful, the legendary 'Theatre of Dreams' could be demolished and replaced with a modern stadium and facilities.

Former United star Cristiano Ronaldo recently voiced his complaints about the stadium in an interview with Piers Morgan. He cited the lack of progress in modernizing the stadium and training facilities as one of his main concerns, prior to the club terminating his contract late last year.

Other Premier League teams, such as Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Manchester City, have built modern stadiums. Other teams, such as Everton, are also building new stadiums. This highlights the importance of modernizing facilities in order to stay competitive in the Premier League.

A complete redevelopment of Old Trafford could require the Red Devils to play their home games away from their traditional ground for a period of time. This is similar to how Tottenham Hotspur had to play at Wembley for almost two seasons while the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was being built.

One major roadblock to Qatar's potential takeover of Manchester United is that UEFA regulations prohibit one entity from owning two clubs in the same competition. With the state-backed Qatar Sports Investments owning Paris Saint-Germain, the two clubs could potentially not be allowed to compete in the Champions League.

However, the Daily Mail report states that the Qatari investment group eyeing Manchester United is separate from QSI, and that their money will come from an "individual fund" rather than a sovereign wealth fund.

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Qatar investment group are set to buy Manchester United

The Glazer family had signaled their intention to sell Manchester United in November, saying they were exploring "strategic alternatives." Tech giant Apple was reportedly interested in buying the club for £5.8 billion. However, the Qatari group is now seen as the main contender to complete the takeover.

The Glazer family is reportedly asking for a sum of more than £6 billion for Manchester United, and a complete redevelopment of Old Trafford is estimated to cost over £2 billion. This has not deterred the Qatari group, who also reportedly have plans to provide a significant summer transfer budget for manager Erik ten Hag.

They say their goal is to win the Premier League title, something the Red Devils have not done since 2013. If their bid is successful, it is expected that the team will be able to compete for the top honors in English and European football.