Old Trafford is one of the most iconic stadiums in world football.The 76,000-capacity stadium has been the Red Devils’ home ground since 1910.It sustained bomb damage during the Second World War, which led to United sharing Maine Road with local rivals Manchester City between 1941-1949, but was rebuilt and underwent several expansions in the 1990s and 2000s.But despite its status as one of football’s most famous and much-loved stadiums, Old Trafford is in ‘desperate need of an upgrade’.This is per the Daily Mail, who understand that potential suitors hoping to purchase Man Utd from the Glazer family are being put off by the state of the Premier League giants’ home ground.

Corporate financiers who have detailed knowledge of United believe the ‘dreadful state’ of Old Trafford is an impediment to anyone buying the club.

The Glazers, who completed their controversial takeover in 2005, would already require an offer of more than £1 billion if they were to sell Man Utd.

But an additional £200 million would be needed to overhaul a stadium that is showing its age.

Last April, for example, before Man Utd’s 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City, footage of water pouring down on seats inside the stadium as a result of a leak in the roof went viral on social media.

For one of the world’s richest and proud football clubs, this is hugely embarrassing, especially when many of their domestic rivals boast state-of-the-art new stadiums.

Tottenham’s fantastic new stadium makes Old Trafford look incredibly antiquated.

The Mail add that United are privately indicating that the cost of developing their ‘ancient, untouched’ South Stand to create a 90,000-seater stadium is ‘unviable and impossible’ within the Glazer’s current financial model.

Furthermore, United would require an alternative stadium while work was being done on Old Trafford, which obviously complicates matters hugely.

Because of an adjacent railway line, the Mail describe overhauling Old Trafford as a ‘fiendish logistical conundrum’.

Add in that financiers believe only 20 people in the world have a high enough net worth to enter the bidding for United and the chances of the Glazers being bought out suddenly sound rather slim.