Man Utd ‘consider’ temporary training base for women’s team

Manchester United are considering using St George’s Park as a temporary training facility, according to reports this week.

The Manchester club have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s admission that the long-term plans for the women’s side are still to be determined. A number of high profile players have also departed, including captain Katie Zelem and goalkeeper Mary Earps.

To add insult to injury, it was also revealed that the women’s team will be relocated into portable cabins at the club’s Carrington training base next season to make space for the men’s squad while their base undergoes a £50m renovation project which will last the duration of the 2024/25 campaign.

Only 12 months ago, the £10m state-of-the-art women’s and academy building opened its doors in what was a major boost for the women’s side. Now, a year on, it is the men’s team who will have priority access to the facilities.

While temporary buildings are assembled for the women at Carrington, The Athletic now state that St George’s Park could be used by the club for a short period. The article claims the facilities, used by England’s men’s and women’s teams, have been provisionally booked by the Red Devils from July 29 for a period of two to three weeks.

A final decision is reportedly yet to be taken, but it has been claimed the players will stay at St George’s Park for the duration of the training camp, as opposed to travelling to and from Manchester. The FA’s national football centre, in Burton-Upon-Trent, is just shy of 69 miles and roughly a 90-minute drive from the Carrington base in Greater Manchester.

United confirmed their first signing of the summer earlier this week with former Arsenal and Wolfsburg defender Dominique Janssen joining on a free transfer. This comes after three departures, including Zelem, Earps and forward Lucia Garcia

The 2024/25 WSL season will begin across the weekend of September 21 and 22, 2024, while the transfer window closes a week prior on Friday, September 13.

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