In the boardroom at Manchester United’s Mayfair office, where executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward conducts a significant amount of his business, there is an oak honours board on which gold writing details each trophy won by the club.



As much as it might impress potential commercial partners, it is primarily there to remind people of United’s ultimate ambition. Prospective signings have been known to engage in negotiations around the grand mahogany table and sources say it is an “impressive” environment, where the aspiration for silverware is pronounced.



On the far wall is a large framed photograph taken from the match between United and Manchester City on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. The scene portrays the silence that fell before kick-off, with red and white scarves raised aloft by those in the stands.



The corridors outside are wooden panelled, replicating those found at Old Trafford, with offices left and right.