A massive police operation will surround Manchester United’s attempt to retain their Barclays Premier League title on Sunday amid fears of violence when they visit Wigan Athletic for the final fixture of the season.

With the match at the JJB Stadium expected to draw a global television audience of 400 million, Premier League and police officials are keen to ensure that it passes without incident, but they are not prepared to take any chances. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has agreed to double the number of officers it provides on normal match days, meaning that there will be about 120 on duty inside and outside the ground.

United sold their official ticket allocation of nearly 5,000 weeks ago, but at least double that number are expected inside the ground, with Dave Whelan, the Wigan chairman, claiming yesterday that he expects a further 20,000 outside.

Streams of Wigan supporters are believed to have been selling their tickets to United fans for extortionate sums and the fear is that trouble could flare as away followers share the same areas of the ground as home fans.

Whelan claimed that home tickets were selling for £450 on eBay — 18 times the standard cost of admission for adults — although other tickets were going for £325 on the auction website last night. “Manchester United have got fans all over the world and I think we’ll be swamped in Wigan on Sunday,” Whelan said. “I just feel there’ll probably be 20,000 locked outside the ground.”

GMP has given the game a category C “high risk” certificate and urged fans without tickets not to travel. “GMP has a great record of policing football matches and other large-scale events,” Chief Superintendent Lee Bruckshaw said. “We are aware of the demand for tickets and are expecting a larger crowd than usual.

“We have prepared thoroughly and will have enough officers on hand to police the anticipated number of visitors. We would advise fans not to travel to Wigan without a ticket but extra provisions have been put in place to police crowds in the town and around the ground.

“While we do not discuss staffing levels, I am satisfied we have sufficient cover to police all eventualities and to ensure the game and any post-match celebrations pass off without any trouble.”

Wigan lost a long and bitter High Court battle with GMP over policing costs in March, but while the total bill on Sunday is expected to exceed £35,000, half will be covered by the Premier League in light of the extra number of officers required. A spokesman for the Premier League said: “We can confirm that we are meeting the extra cost of policing and that it is an appropriate measure when there is the potential for the trophy to be presented at an away ground.”

Victory would guarantee United the title, regardless of how Chelsea fare against Bolton Wanderers, by virtue of their superior goal difference. The previous time that the Premier League trophy was presented at an away stadium was in May 2003, when United won the title at Goodison Park.

Whelan dismissed theories that Wigan will “roll over” for United, given his friendship — and that of Steve Bruce, the manager — with Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager. He insisted that the decision to put back a rugby league match originally scheduled for this evening was done with the best intentions, given the state of the pitch at the JJB Stadium.

“This pitch and this match is going to be beamed to the world and what I didn’t want is for the rugby team to be playing on Friday night, it be pouring down and cut the pitch up,” Whelan said. “That wouldn’t display Wigan as a proper Premier League club.”