Manchester United Make U-turn On Mason Greenwood Decision

Manchester United have officially confirmed today in a club statement that Mason Greenwood will be leaving the club.

The statement confirms that Manchester United have “concluded its internal investigation into the allegations made against Mason Greenwood” and “recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.”

“It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford.” The statement goes on to say that Manchester United “will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.”

This comes after severe backlash last week from the media and general public after an investigation revealed that Manchester United were planning to reintegrate Greenwood into the squad.

Mason Greenwood’s Manchester United Career Summed Up

Mason Greenwood officially leaves Manchester United as the club statement confirms.

Greenwood made his professional debut for United in 2019 and went on to score 35 goals in 129 appearances.

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Mason Greenwood was arrested on January 31, 2022, and charged with assault, rape, and controlling and coercive behavior resulting in bodily harm. He was subsequently suspended by Manchester United.

In February 2023, his charges were dropped as the Crown Prosecution Service announced that new evidence had come to light as well as the withdrawal of a key witness from the case.

Mason Greenwood remained suspended by Manchester United as they announced they were conducting an internal investigation to “collate as much information and context as possible” concerning the case.

It was reported last week that Manchester United had made the decision to reintegrate Greenwood into the squad and it was met with severe backlash from club supporters, football fans, politicians, and members of parliament in the UK, as well as the general public.

According to a poll by The Athletic Football, about 58% of Manchester United fans did not want Mason Greenwood back at the club.

A charity organization in the UK, Women’s Aid, automatically branded by United as “hostile” towards Mason Greenwood’s return to Old Trafford commented that “hostile” in itself was an inappropriate term to describe sexual abuse and domestic violence.

UK members of parliament described the decision as “abhorrent, reckless and dangerous” and urged the club to realize “this isn’t a PR crisis it’s about doing what’s right.”

Several crisis meetings were held in the past week as well as the release of a club statement in a bid to control the degree of damage already done to Manchester United’s reputation.

It had also been hinted in some reports that even though United had made a decision to reintegrate Greenwood into the squad, a U-turn on the decision wasn’t completely ruled out.

Manchester United maintain their official stance that they had conducted extensive interviews and a thorough investigation into the process which “led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with.”

However, the club’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Arnold has admitted that reintegration of Mason Greenwood into the squad was an option they considered.

What Happens Now?

Mason Greenwood maintains his stance of being innocent of all charges but mentioned that he takes responsibility for how the situation panned out and admitted making “mistakes” in his relationship.

He also says that he “understands that people will judge me because of what they have seen and heard on social media” and added that he knows they “will think the worst.”

Greenwood further pleaded his innocence by saying that he was raised to know that violence and abuse in any relationship is wrong and that he’s learning to understand his responsibilities and set good examples as a professional footballer, father, and partner.

In the best interest of all parties involved, Mason Greenwood has made the decision together with Manchester United that he will not return to the club where his presence “will not be a distraction for the club.”

At this point, it is not yet clear if a full termination of his contract will be initiated, if he will leave on loan, or if a severance package will be mutually agreed upon with the player.

This article had already been written on an earlier date August 21, 2023, and is only being published now.

All source material from this piece is quoted from The Athletic Football.