2024-04-15 06:03:54
A difficult decision must be made at Old Trafford.
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to soccer.ru.
Manchester United faces a choice: what should it do with Mason Greenwood? Should you keep it, rent it out, or sell it forever? And this question has faced Manchester United over the past two and a half years. His decision was constantly postponed. Greenwood is currently spending the season on loan at Getafe, but the time is approaching when he needs to take the next step – his loan expires next month. And the future of what was once one of United’s most talented footballers has not yet been clarified.
Moreover, when Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7 percent stake in Manchester United, there was even less clarity. Because now the new management team will decide what to do next with the 22-year-old footballer. A scenario has emerged in which Greenwood may even return to Manchester and play there again, and the club will abandon the idea of a new lease or sale of the player.
Reason for the breakup
Mason has not played for United since January 2022, when he came on against West Ham. A week later he was arrested on suspicion of rape. The club hastened to disown the 20-year-old football player who had broken the law. In October 2022, the prosecutor’s office brought final charges: attempted rape, coercion, and battery.
The trial was set for November 2023. However, in February of that year, prosecutors dropped all charges against Greenwood because new materials in the case, as well as the testimony of key witnesses, did not provide any prospect of a conviction.
United subsequently said it would conduct its own investigation. It ended in August 2023, and the club noted that Greenwood would not resume his career at Old Trafford. United’s statement said that all parties involved, including Mason himself, understand the difficulties everyone would face in bringing the player back into the team. First of all, we are talking about the reputational and ethical aspects. Therefore, both the player and the club decided that it was better for Greenwood to continue his career somewhere else.
Greenwood’s loan move to Getafe was completed at the last minute of the 2023 summer transfer window. But this was not a solution to Greenwood’s issue, but a postponement of it. At the end of May this year, Manchester United will have to return to this issue again.
Change of position
United’s internal concerns remain. They relate to the reaction of the club’s women’s team to the prospect of Greenwood’s return. Last summer this had a big impact on the final decision. There is also a threat of a reputational blow, which may lead to a negative reaction from sponsors. And some fans openly opposed Mason returning. But since then, some aspects of the issue have changed. Mainly they concern the decision-making body. Now Jim Ratcliffe’s structures are responsible for this.
He was asked about the fate of Greenwood. And the businessman emphasized that he was considering all possible scenarios:
He is a Manchester United footballer. And we are responsible for it. Yes, we need to make a decision. It is obvious. But the decision has not been made yet. We must focus on facts, not hype. And based on the facts, you need to make a fair decision. Essentially it comes down to the question of whether he’s a good guy or not, can he play well for Man Utd and will the fans be happy with that?
Information has already appeared that Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are interested in Greenwood. True, the Catalans have reduced their ardor a little. Their main contact at Manchester regarding Greenwood was John Murtaugh, but he left his post as Manchester United’s director of football, so the situation has changed.
But Juventus joined those interested. However, both the Turin team and Atlético are confused by the amount that Manchester United would like to get for Greenwood. It’s £30 million, which seems like a lot for a player who has problems playing for his home club.
Finding a solution
The easiest solution would be a new lease. But again it will be a temporary solution. The same Getafe wants to keep Greenwood. He scored six goals and made five assists in 25 La Liga matches as part of the Madrid team, performed well and showed that his talent was not lost. Actually, that’s why all the discussions around Mason continue.
But if Getafe wants to extend the loan for another year, then Manchester United should try to sign a new contract with Greenwood, because the current one expires in 2025. Otherwise, Mason will leave for free, and United will not be able to dream of any 30 million. Extending the contract with Greenwood will also raise questions, but Manchester United does not want to get rid of the player for a lower price, just to draw a line under this story.
Greenwood himself and his family settled well in Spain; there were fears that he would be met with hostility there, but nothing of the kind turned up. However, economic reasons could motivate him to return to England, where he could earn much more. At the same time, there is a growing risk of encountering hostility from the British public.
The chances of Greenwood returning to Manchester United are still slim. Still, the negative factors that the club takes into account are still relevant. However, their role is already noticeably less. And a change in leadership will allow us to reboot our attitude to the situation, and it won’t look like changing our shoes. It’s not for nothing that Greenwood was once considered one of the brightest young talents in world football. In his youth, he scored more goals for Manchester United than Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford.
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