Manchester United Football Club are understood to have made approaches to a local golf club as a potential site for a new training ground.
Wary of space limitations at the Premier League club’s current training base in Carrington, where they have been since 1999 – MUFC officials have focused on golf clubs in the South Manchester area, and have held preliminary talks with one venue, High Legh Park GC in Knutsford, although no agreement has been reached on a potential sale.
Bought by American Golf in 2021 for £2.7m, High Legh Park features an 18-hole course, 9-hole course and 24-bay floodlit driving range, along with a golf retail store, clubhouse bar and restaurant. The club was put up for sale in 2023.
Manchester United would require at least a 100-acre site if it was to relocate all its training facilities for its men’s, women’s and youth teams into one venue, although there remains the potential to retain Carrington and former base The Cliff, and spread the training operation across various sites.
Last month saw INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquire a 25% stake in Manchester United, taking charge of footballing operations, which would also include overseeing training facilities.