Liverpool on Monday looked set to stay at Anfield instead of moving to a new ground, after city authorities announced plans to regenerate the area around their historic Anfield home.
Liverpool City Council said they had secured a STG25 million ($A39.45 million) grant to transform the Anfield area in the city in northwest England, with further investment likely from a public housing association.
The club’s managing director Ian Ayre described the move as a “major step forward” for both Liverpool and local residents, after years of wrangling about whether they should move from the stadium that has been their home since 1892.
“This is step one as there is land to acquire, plans to be approved, etc. but this is a significant moment. Questions about capacity and cost are not for today, not until we have certainty,” he told a news conference in the city.
Redevelopment of Anfield is likely to see improvements and extensions made to the main stand and the Anfield Road end, as the regeneration plans include proposals to clear a number of streets near the ground in agreement with local residents.
Planning permission, though, is still required, which means that a move to a new home in nearby Stanley Park still can not be entirely ruled out.
English Premier League side Liverpool are owned by US firm the Fenway Sports Group, which has previously re-developed existing old stadiums, including the home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, Fenway Park.