Mason Greenwood: Man Utd decision lauded with pathway into Ten Hag eleven now clear
What Man Utd intend to do with Mason Greenwood has been hailed by one observer who feels the player will be better prepared if the call eventually comes to return to Erik ten Hag’s first-team.
The 21-year-old has not featured for club or country since January of 2022. Greenwood was arrested just over one year ago on allegations of attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely by Man Utd.
However, on February 2 of this year, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all of charges that were levied against Greenwood back in October.
Explaining the decision, the CPS cited “the withdrawal of key witnesses” and the emergence of “new material.”
United have been conducting an internal investigation into how to proceed with Greenwood. While deliberations are still ongoing, the Daily Mail recently revealed one option under consideration is sending the frontman out on loan to Spain, Italy or Turkey.
If club chiefs find Greenwood brought the club’s name into disrepute, they will terminate his contract early. If that is not the conclusion they come to, the loan route is set to be explored.
A loan to another country would allow Man Utd to gauge reaction to the player and give them a better sense of whether it’s worth reintegrating Greenwood back into their first-team.
When addressing the loan option for Greenwood, former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT pundit, Simon Jordan, suggested it would be the benefit of all involved.
Mason Greenwood loan a “sensible move” – Simon Jordan
“Where this young man sits now is he’s no longer being charged,” Jordan told talkSPORT. “I argued this a while ago when we covered it about the presumption of innocence and the presumption of innocence is something we should have in real terms.
“But the court of public opinion will make its own decisions about what they heard and what they know about this young man.
“That puts him in the way of a variety of challenges. One of them is Man Utd’s perception of its image around the world and the other is what he’s going to be subjected to, by the very nature of what we know to be a very blunt, cruel and often appraisal of anything football fans can get at to try and disadvantage a player.
“With all those factors in play, I think it’s a sensible move [loan overseas]. It’s not kicking the can down the road.”
Greenwood is guaranteed to be reminded of his murky past by fans and those within the media if and when he returns to playing football.
Jordan went on to suggest a spell overseas would give Greenwood a chance to get used to the heckling he’ll receive if allowed to continue his career in England down the road.
Jordan continued: “If [Greenwood] wants to be a professional football player, which I presume he does, going out to a different country and experiencing some of the vitriol and getting himself acclimatised to it will allow him the opportunity to come back and face what he’s going to face at some point.
“Football fans are unforgiving.”
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