Manchester United finally take Cristiano Ronaldo advice with ambitious Sir Jim Ratcliffe plan

Manchester United finally look set to take Cristiano Ronaldo's advice after the club unveiled plans to spend £50million on improvements at Carrington.

After arriving at United for a second stint in 2021, Ronaldo claimed that the infrastructure at Carrington hadn't changed since he first joined the club in 2003. The all-time great declared that 'the progress was zero' at Carrington in the last decade during a controversial interview with Piers Morgan in 2022.

He said: "Nothing changed, surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. Even the kitchen, the chefs, whom I appreciate – lovely people. They stopped in time. It surprised me a lot.

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"I thought I would see other things, technologies, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, we see a lot of what I used to see at 21, 22, and 23-years-old. It really surprised me. Since [Sir Alex] Ferguson left, I haven’t seen an evolution at the club. Progress is zero. You have to tear it down and rebuild it. If they start with me, it’s not a problem."

United have now promised to deliver a 'world-class football facility with a positive culture to support future success' after unveiling plans to modernise the men's first-team building. The refurbishment will start next week with architectural firm Foster & Partners and Manchester-born Norman Foster will lead the project.

The firm has a history of designing football stadiums and arenas. They were responsible for the reshaping of Wembley Stadium and the design of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Their initial focus will be on the gym, medical, nutrition and recovery areas for the players and it will be expected to be ongoing for the duration of the 2024/25 season. That will see the club make temporary adaptations to the rest of the Carrington site, ensuring players and staff from all teams can continue to operate successfully during next season.

Club sources have suggested that the £50m will be drawn from the £300m fund that Sir Jim Ratcliffe committed for infrastructure as part of his acquisition of a minority steak. "We want to create a world-class environment for our teams to win," Ratcliffe said.

"When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met with our men’s first-team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers. This project will ensure Manchester United’s training ground is once more renovated to the highest standards.

"Lord Foster, a fellow Mancunian, has brought some great inspiration to the design, in conjunction with the Manchester United team and we look forward to seeing the improvement to the facilities but most importantly on the pitch."