The first group of Manchester United players will report back for pre-season training at Carrington on Thursday, 33 days after the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley. Preparations for the new season are underway and, for many, it represents a fresh start.
For Mason Greenwood, on the other hand, very little seems to have changed.
Greenwood remains suspended by the club, just as he has been since January 2022 following his arrest on suspicion of rape and assault.
The 21-year-old has not been allowed to play for United or train with his teammates for 17 months, even though the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges in early February.
Of course, that only tells half the story. An audio file leaked on social media at the time of Greenwood’s arrest was hugely damaging to the player and placed his club in an awful position.
Mason Greenwood’s continued uncertainty threatens to bring a cloud over Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag
Greenwood has not played or trained with United for 17 months – and an internal probe is ongoing even after being found not guilty of rape and assault charges
Nike were able to rip up his contract without paying him a penny but, for United, the situation isn’t quite so straightforward. Greenwood hasn’t been found guilty of any crime.
An internal investigation was launched once the CPS announced its decision and remains ongoing. It’s understood that the process has accelerated since the end of last season and it is now nearing a conclusion.
The Glazer family and chief executive Richard Arnold will have the final say over Greenwood’s fate, but it would be in everyone’s best interests if this whole sorry saga was resolved as soon as possible so it cannot cast its shadow over a third season.
The signs are that it will be. While it seems highly unlikely Greenwood will be allowed back into Carrington on Thursday when the United players who didn’t feature in the recent internationals return to training, all options remain open.
The most logical would be to send Greenwood out on loan to a European club for the entirety of next season, as revealed by Mail Sport last month. The player would be given the chance to revive a hugely promising career away from the worst of the fallout over his arrest. United could keep the door open for a return to Old Trafford or consider selling him next summer.
Greenwood is reported to have already put his Cheshire mansion up for rent, although sources have warned against reading too much into that when the player himself still doesn’t know what the club plan to do.
It’s not impossible that United and Greenwood could risk the backlash by reintegrating him into Erik ten Hag’s squad for the new season. He is, after all, an immense talent.
But if United are serious about taking Greenwood back, why do they continue to pursue Atalanta’s £86million-rated striker Rasmus Hojlund?
The 20-year-old Dane is younger than Greenwood with less experience and a similar strike rate, having scored 27 goals in 87 first-team games for Copenhagen, Sturm Graz and Atalanta compared to the Englishman’s 35 in 129 for United.
Greenwood could still be sent out on loan – but it is not impossible that United risk a backlash and reintegrate him into the squad
It would be in everyone’s interests at United if this sorry saga was resolved to allow Ten Hag to focus on the season ahead
It would be peculiar to spend a large chunk of a tight budget on Hojlund if Greenwood was coming back to strengthen the squad anyway.
Meanwhile, replica shirts with his name on the back are still unavailable on the club website even though United launched their new home kit last week.
Joseph Lappin, a partner and head of employment at law firm Stewarts, does not expect to see Greenwood in the red of United again.
‘The length of time this process appears to be taking is surprising,’ said Lappin. ‘Although the issues the club needs to grapple with are serious, there will be relatively few witnesses who need to be interviewed.
‘The specific findings of the investigation will likely remain confidential. That said, at some stage the club will need to make an announcement regarding Greenwood’s future. When and how they do that will naturally depend on the outcome of the investigation.
Pre-season is about to begin – yet old problems remain and there are more questions than answers when it comes to Greenwood
‘It is not beyond the realms of possibility we see Greenwood in a Manchester United shirt again. However, the chances of that happening are slim.
‘Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the club will be concerned about its reputation, including with its fan base and commercial partners. Many fans will have heard the audio recordings released on social media and will take a dim view of the club reintegrating Greenwood into the first team.’
Not for the first time, there are more questions than answers when it comes to the issue of Mason Greenwood.
Last month, he was pictured working out on a sports centre pitch with a personal trainer – quite a comedown for a young man who was valued at £134m shortly before his arrest. Later this month, Greenwood will become a father when he and his partner welcome their first baby together.
In the meantime, a new season dawns and old problems remain.
