Avram Glazer was in attendance at Wembley on Sunday to watch Manchester United lose to Chelsea in the Women's FA Cup final.
It's the second game which any members of Glazer family have attended this season after also watching United's men lift the Carabao Cup in February which was a sign of their continued commitment to the club. Avram's latest appearance gives a strong suggestion that Sir Jim Ratcliffe 's takeover plan will indeed involve both him and his brother Joel Glazer remaining at Old Trafford.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, 70, this week moved a significant step closer to completing his majority purchase of United for £5billion. His deal would see the Glazer brothers keep smaller shares for three years, with set dates in 2026 for when they must sell.
Sunday saw Avram, who's been in control of United alongside his family since their full takeover of the club 18 years ago, watch United's women lose 1-0 to Chelsea in gut-wrenching fashion. It was their first-ever Women's FA Cup final and Marc Skinner 's side fell to Chelsea star Sam Kerr's goal in the 68th minute.
Post-match, Avram walked past a pool of reporters, one of whom asked: "How long's the sale gonna take?" There was no response, with the American walking by.
Having attended February's Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle, four months after United were put on the market, men's manager Erik ten Hag explained that Avram's presence was to demonstrate that he's still committed to affairs at Old Trafford.
"He was really happy for the club as an owner," Ten Hag said. "He wants to be part of it, you feel that, and he was in the dressing room. It was very good he was here and to show his intentions."
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Ratcliffe now looks to be stepping in as United's head honcho, through his petrochemical company, INEOS. Set to win the race over Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, United fans hope that Ratcliffe's hotly-anticipated arrival will be the start of a new era after 18 years of protesting against the Glazers.
Even ex-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that the American family should leave, declaring at an event in Manchester on Friday: "It needs to be done. Old Trafford is neglected. The training ground has been neglected. We need to catch up with the other teams."
Ratcliffe, meanwhile, has promised "to make them [United] the number one club in the world once again." "We want a Manchester United anchored on its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League," his statement added.
