A little over two weeks ago, we learned that the criminal charges against Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood were dropped.
Shortly after that news was brought to light, MUFC announced that they would investigate their indefinitely suspended player internally, before making a decision on whether or not to re-integrate him into the team.
According to a massive report in ESPN FC today, the aforementioned investigation will be very wide-ranging, and we won’t know its resolution until the summer off-season, at the earliest.
Manager Erik ten Hag, who indeed runs a very tight ship at Old Trafford, does not want any distractions (and certainly the Mason Greenwood situation is indeed one of those) between now and the end of the season.
There have also been reports that Ten Hag has already spoken with Greenwood directly, about his future, but the club refuse to respond publicly to said reports.
According to the ESPN article, United will seek various opinions within the organization about how to proceed with Greenwood. That includes getting feedback from the players themselves, on both the women’s and men’s side.
Greenwood had been slated to go on trial this November for charges of attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, but now with the case dropped he’s a free man once again. He has been suspended since January of 2022, when the charges were first brought to light.
The 21-year-old, who is contracted to the club until 2025, has long been dropped by his sponsors, including Nike and Electronic Arts.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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