Manchester United fans are urging Ineos to consult them on renaming Old Trafford

Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) has urged Ineos to consult with fans on the “very emotional” issue of a potential stadium naming rights deal.

United have been exploring a number of investment opportunities, including naming rights, around a potential new or redeveloped Old Trafford stadium for months.

With Lord Coe’s stadium task force not due to report until later in the year, all options are being considered as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team assess ways to raise revenue to help fund such an infrastructure project huge.

Sources said “nothing is off the table”, hence the talk of naming rights and potential ticket price increases, but insisted no firm decisions had been made and were unlikely to be anytime soon.

Should United decide to renovate their existing ground, one option could be for the club to retain the Old Trafford name but seek an associate partner, similar to what Wembley has with EE. The national stadium is called Wembley Stadium, connected by EE. Similarly, Barcelona’s ground is now Spotify’s Nou Camp, thanks to a sponsorship deal with the digital music service.

However, a completely new stadium on the surrounding ground could involve a completely new name, as Arsenal and Manchester City have done with their move to the Emirates Stadium and Etihad Stadium at Highbury and Maine Road respectively.

However, they SHOULD have stressed the importance of consulting fans around such issues.

“Regarding whether the club should sell stadium naming rights, this has long been a highly emotive issue that directly affects fans,” they said in a statement.

“Supporters must be at the heart of these decisions and we expect the club to begin consultation before any decisions are made. MUST will consult supporters so that their views are heard.”