MAN UTD 'COULD SCRAP' CONTROVERSIAL £200M ROOF IN NEW OLD TRAFFORD PLANS

Manchester United unveiled plans for a new stadium last March but it has now emerged that one standout feature of the proposed 'New Trafford' could now be ditched

Manchester United's design for their proposed new stadium could change(Image: PA)

Manchester United's plans for their new stadium are back under the spotlight amid fresh claims that an impressive new roof which would likely cost around £200million could be ditched.

The Red Devils unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium last year after deciding to press ahead with plans to leave Old Trafford rather than renovate their current home. It's estimated the entire project would cost around £2bn, though, and updates have been thin on the ground.

A tent-like roof was the most eye-catching aspect of the new design, which was unveiled by Foster + Partners. But The Sun are reporting that the roof Sir Jim Ratcliffe likened to the Eiffel Tower 'may never come to pass'.

It's also noted that specific feature is estimated to cost around £200m alone, highlighting the huge cost of the project. Industry sources also told the publication that Foster + Partners are 'renowned for their expensiveness'.

Behind the scenes, United are understood to still be working on funding for the ambitious project. It's said that there are 'differences' between what is public and what is private in regards to the club's search for backing.

It was claimed back in November that the prospective 'New Trafford' would not receive government funding, with The i Paper saying that the Treasury would not allocate any funding for the stadium.

Ratcliffe previously outlined that any move to a world-class new stadium would not be before 2030, with the hope that work may start by the end of 2025.

United veiled plans for their new stadium last year(Image: PA)

The Ineos chief has made no secret of his desire to see a 'Wembley of the north' built and stressed that any new stadium would have to be one befitting of Manchester United's stature when the plans were unveiled last March.

"The north of England has won 10 Champions League medals, London has two. But London has Wembley, Twickenham, Wimbledon and the Olympic Village," Ratcliffe said.

"The north of England deserves a stadium where England can play football, where we can hold the Champions League final, and one befitting of Manchester United's stature.

"Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport."

- Daniel Marsh

KIM KARDASHIAN SHARES PHOTO OF GLAMOROUS PARIS TRIP AFTER VISITING CITY WITH LEWIS HAMILTON AMID ROMANCE RUMORS

Kardashian shared a glimpse behind-the-scenes of her trip to the French capital on Instagram

Kim Kardashian, Paris.

Credit : Kim Kardashian/Instagram (2)

NEED TO KNOW

• Kim Kardashian shared several Instagram Stories on Monday, Feb 2, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her recent trip to Paris

• The SKIMS founder showed the glittering Eiffel Tower as well as an image of her enjoying a slice of cheesecake in bed while watching the Netflix period drama Bridgerton

• Kardashian was spotted arriving at a hotel in Paris alongside F1 driver Lewis Hamilton that same day, according to video footage obtained by TMZ

Kim Kardashian is loving her time in the French capital.

On Monday, Feb. 2, the SKIMS founder, 45, shared clips and photos of her whistlestop trip to Paris on her Instagram Stories.

Kardashian posted a couple of videos of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, filmed from her hotel balcony. The All’s Fair star also shared a photo of herself watching the new season of Netflix's hit show Bridgerton while eating cheesecake in bed at the city's Hotel Costes.

“Bridgeton Season 4 and Hotel Coste cheesecake 🤤,” Kardashian wrote over the snapshot, referring to the luxury five-star French hotel where she stayed. 

Kim Kardashian posted a photo of her eating cheesecake after visiting Paris.
Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Kardashian’s trip to Paris comes amid rumors she’s dating Lewis Hamilton, after the mogul flew to the U.K. for a “romantic meetup” with the F1 star days earlier, PEOPLE previously reported.

Kardashian and Hamilton, 41, were subsequently seen arriving together at a hotel in Paris after exiting the same SUV in a video obtained by TMZ on Monday, Feb. 2. The pair flew in from the U.K. to the French capital on a private jet, according to the outlet.

Kim Kardashian in Paris on Feb. 2.
BACKGRID

On Feb. 2, The Kardashians star looked glamorous as she headed out for dinner in Paris wearing a black sheer lace bodysuit and matching leggings with a floor-length furry coat. Hamilton did not appear with Kardashian at the time, The Sun reported.

However, before travelling to Paris, the rumoured couple met up for a weekend getaway at the luxury hotel and private members’ club, Estelle Manor, in the Cotswolds, England.

A rep for Kardashian did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment at the time.

Kardashian and Hamilton have known each other for many years and have been seen hanging out together on several occasions.

At the 2014 GQ Men of the Year ceremony, Kardashian was seen kissing Hamilton on the cheek. They were also pictured together at the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards in 2021 and at Pharrell Williams’ debut show as creative director for Louis Vuitton menswear in 2023.

- Escher Walcott

MAN CLIMBING EIFFEL TOWER 🗼 PROMPTS EVACUATION BEFORE OLYMPIC CLOSING

PARIS -- French police have evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the Paris landmark hours before the Olympics closing ceremony Sunday.

The shirtless man was seen scaling the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tall tower in the afternoon. It's unclear where he began his ascent, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.

Police escorted visitors away from the area around 3 p.m. Some visitors who were briefly locked on the second floor were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.

The Eiffel Tower was a centerpiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas. The Tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was set to begin at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis at 9 p.m.

The incident occurred as the Olympic competition winds down and security services in Paris and beyond are shifting their focus to the closing ceremony that will bring the curtain down on the Games.

More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris on Sunday. France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 3,000 police officers will be mobilized around the Stade de France, and 20,000 police troops and other security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis area will be mobilized late into Sunday night to ensure safety on the last day of the Olympics.

MACRON REVEALS PLAB B IF SECURITY RISK TOO HIGH FOR PARIS OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SEINE

Construction is underway at the Trocadéro gardens, ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony which will be held on the Seine. Sunday, April 14, 2024 in Paris. AURELIEN MORISSARD / AP

 French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, April 15, the Paris Olympics opening ceremony could move from the river Seine to a different site in the event of a security threat. Macron said in an interview with BFMTV and RMC that instead of teams sailing down the Seine on barges, the ceremony could be "limited to the Trocadéro," across the river from the Eiffel Tower, or "even moved to the Stade de France."

The Paris organizers have devised a ceremony that is unprecedented in Olympic history as it breaks from the tradition of opening the Games in the main stadium. However, despite war raging in Ukraine and in Gaza, organizers have so far denied the ceremony on July 26 could be moved to a different venue if it is targeted.

"This opening ceremony... is a world first. We can do it and we are going to do it," Macron said. But, he added, "there are Plan Bs and Plan Cs", including moving the ceremony to the Stade de France to the north of Paris. "We will analyze this in real time," Macron added.

He also said he would do "everything possible" to have an Olympic truce during the Games. The truce is a historic tradition that peace reigns during the Olympics. "We want to work towards an Olympic truce and I think it is an occasion for me to engage with a lot of our partners," he said.

First Olympic opening outside a stadium

The July 26 event is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium setting. About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer route.

To limit security risks, Macron said organizers could decide to shorten the itinerary of the parade on the Seine, and even to "repatriate the ceremony to the Stade de France" for a more conventional opening event.

Organizers had originally planned a grandiose opening ceremony for as many as 600,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But security and logistical concerns have led the government to progressively scale back its ambitions. Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000.

The French government also decided that tourists won't be given free access to watch the opening ceremony because of security concerns. Free access will be invitation-only instead.

-  Le Monde with AP, AFP

LIONEL MESSI WITH ANTONELA | EIFFEL TOWER