Manchester United have unveiled a new £236million training complex at Carrington ahead of the 2025/26 season in changes which follow damning criticism by Cristiano Ronaldo
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has delivered what Cristiano Ronaldo demanded after leaving Manchester United, according to Diogo Dalot. Ronaldo slammed the training facilities at United after leaving the club under a cloud in January 2023 and Ratcliffe has now unveiled changes at Carrington.
United have returned from their pre-season tour of the United States and moved into a new first-team complex at their training ground. The renovations were undertaken during the 2024/25 season and were part of a £236million investment by Ratcliffe and his INEOS ownership group.
The petrochemicals billionaire said United now “stands shoulder to shoulder with Coca-Cola and Apple” as one of the most recognisable brands in the world and needed a training ground to match their ambitions. It comes two and a half years after Ronaldo claimed nothing had changed between when he left for Real Madrid in 2009 and his return in 2021.
“Nothing changed, surprisingly,” he said in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. “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.”
Asked about Ronaldo’s criticism, his Portugal team-mate Dalot said: “I’m sure he would love it if he would be able to see it. But overall I think the message was clear that this club deserved even more and all credit to Sir Jim and his team.”
He added: “I think finally we’re getting to a level where this club deserves and now it’s up to us, on the pitch, to also match that standard. If we’re talking about a club like Man United, we should have the best facilities in the world. The big thing that I like the most is now there’s going to be no excuses.”
United finished a lowly 15th in the Premier League last season before losing the Europa League final. They have splashed the cash this summer, signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with a deal for Benjamin Sesko close, and will expect to see results on the pitch this season.
“The club has to compete at the highest level that is appropriate to the size and history of the club,” Ratcliffe said. “While a world-class training facility won’t take us to that position alone, it is one of the key ingredients in the modern facility. Now we have one.
“When I first came to Carrington two years ago, we had a presentation here. It was clear then. It is an excellent facility. It was [leading edge[ I am sure in 2000, but 25 years later it wasn’t at quite the level it needed to be for one of the top four or five clubs in the world.”
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