Manchester United have been teeing up golf courses as potential sites for a new training ground.
Mail Sport understands that club officials – wary of space limitations at the Premier League giants’ current base – have focused on courses in the South Manchester area, and even held preliminary talks with one golf club.
All options remain on the table but the view at United is that a move from Carrington, where they have been situated since 1999, may give them the best option of creating a world-leading facility.
It is understood that any site would need to be a minimum of 100 acres of buildable land to come anywhere near to matching United’s demands.
While there have been regular updates to Carrington, there is an acknowledgement that it is not currently at the elite level enjoyed by rivals such as City and Tottenham.
Manchester United have been scoping out golf courses as potential sites for a training ground
The Red Devils held talks with High Legh Park Golf Club but an agreement was not reached
High Legh features an 18-hole Championship course, 9-hole course and 24-bay floodlit driving range, along with a golf retail store, clubhouse bar and restaurant
It remains to be seen who would foot the bill for such a move, with INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) set to take control of football operations
The belief is that the existing site is at maximum capacity, suffers from a shortage of parking space and that acquiring vast acreage elsewhere may be the best option.
It can be disclosed that talks took place with High Legh Park Golf Club but an agreement was not reached. A woodland course situated in Knutsford, it ticked many boxes, not least because it was close to where many of United’s players live.
High Legh features an 18-hole Championship course, 9-hole course and 24-bay floodlit driving range, along with a golf retail store, clubhouse bar and restaurant. The course was bought by Warrington-based American Golf for £2.7m in 2021 and put up for sale last year.
Sources have disclosed that the situation remains ‘fluid’. One option is to build a new facility and keep Carrington and former base The Cliff, spreading the training operation across various sites. United’s women’s side and academy could, for example, remain at Carrington, with the men’s team located at a new facility. The preference, however, is to host everyone on one site, should a location big enough be found.
Interestingly, Ratcliffe’s INEOS hold the rights to explore for shale gas beneath Carrington. The petrochemicals giant own a 60 per cent stake in an onshore oil and gas licence covering large swathes of Trafford – including the training ground.
It remains to be seen who would foot the bill for such a move should United find somewhere suitable elsewhere and decide to act. When his 25 per cent investment is ratified, INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe will take control of football operations.
It is understood that any site would need to be a minimum of 100 acres of buildable land to come anywhere near to matching United’s demands
United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche is overseeing the project along with Mags Mernagh, who designed Leicester City’s new, 185-acre training ground
He has already vowed to spend £250m on Old Trafford, although expenditure on a training facility may well be viewed as a grey area and is likely to need agreement from both Ratcliffe and the Glazers.
United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche is overseeing the project. Roche joined the club from Manchester Airport in 2018 and in 2022 brought in Mags Mernagh, from Leicester City, to work alongside her.
In 2020, Mernagh – then the Midlands club’s infrastructure director – designed the Foxes new, 185-acre training ground. Widely regarded as one of the best in the country it features 14 pitches, elite sports science and medical facilities and customised gym and hydrotherapy areas. It is also built on the site of a former golf club and features a nine-hole course.