A historic English soccer club has made a bombshell announcement. Manchester United unveiled plans to leave Old Trafford, their home for more than 100 years, and move into a new 100,000-seat stadium on Tuesday. Per the plans, the stadium would surpass Wembley Stadium as the biggest in the United Kingdom. “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the center of a regenerated Old Trafford,” co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said in a statement. “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home. Old Trafford is one of the true cathedrals of the sport, hosting countless iconic moments featuring the 20-time English champions. The 76,000-seat stadium opened in 1910 and underwent its latest expansion in 2006. The new stadium is set to sit within a wider redevelopment of the Old Trafford area that is supposed to include the construction of more than 17,000 new homes. Manchester United says the project has the potential to deliver an additional 7.3 billion per year to the UK economy and may create 92,000 new jobs. British architect Norman Foster has been appointed designer of the project. The new stadium will be modern, but maintain the “essence of Old Trafford,” Ratcliffe said. “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance. It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar,” Foster said in a statement. “The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square. The outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport, and endowed by nature. It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of.” Sir Alex Ferguson, United’s longest-serving manager, is also supporting the project. During his 26 years with Manchester United between 1986 and 2013, United he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. United hasn’t won the Premier League since he retired and is in 14th place, 36 points behind rival and league leader Liverpool. “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in,” Ferguson said. “Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.” A source told the Associated Press that Man United will not have to play away from Old Trafford while the construction work is completed.