David Beckham and Real Madrid's Galacticos are in line for a pre-season curtain-raiser at Old Trafford to officially celebrate the opening of the new quadrants.
United have been scouring the world for prestigious opponents to mark the new 76,000 capacity at the Theatre of Dreams following the £43m development in the corners of the West and East Stands.
The match has been pencilled in for the weekend of August 12, a week before the new Premiership campaign begins.
But the Reds are prepared to be flexible in a bid to persuade the Spaniards to agree to fit the fixture into their schedule and the date could be brought forward to August 8 or 9.
United's hierarchy have been in contact with their counterparts at the Bernabeu but nothing concrete has yet been secured as Real are in the middle of presidential elections.
The Reds had tried for both the Champions League winners
But the emotional return of Beckham to Old Trafford to play against United for the first time since controversially leaving the club in the summer of 2003 for La Liga would ensure a new club record attendance.
A new stadium record for a match involving United was set when the previous best of 70,504 against Aston Villa in December 1920 was beaten by 404 against Arsenal in April.
The 73,006 gate against Charlton in the final home match of the term set a new record, but the showpiece official opener - against Real, it is hoped - will see the new `stadium full' figure of 76,000 achieved.