MANCHESTER United has been urged to make a decision on Mason Greenwood – and they could risk ‘chaos’ if they get it wrong.
The 21-year-old striker’s alleged rape and assault charges were dropped in February.
AFPMason Greenwood’s alleged rape and assault charges were dropped in February[/caption]
With United‘s season over after their 2-1 loss to Man City in the FA Cup final, the Red Devils’ attention now turns to next season.
The Old Trafford outfit will have big decisions to make on the future of players such as Harry Maguire and David de Gea this summer.
“The huge one?” Martin Samuel wrote in his column at the Times. “Well, that shapes the club United are to be. It concerns morals and ethics, but also future strategy and direction.
“It is the call they must make on Mason Greenwood. Get this wrong — in either direction — and chaos ensues.
“There is a suspicion that United’s present owners want to stall and leave the Greenwood decision to their successors, or even that they secretly hope interest from a club such as Juventus will make him another club’s problem.”
Samuel also claimed that if United were to consult the club’s stakeholders, or even their sponsors and commercial partners, then they would open a ‘Pandora’s box’.
The columnist said it would ‘set a precedent’ if the club’s policy was ‘dictated by friends of the marketing department’.
Greenwood has not played in 16 months after the Red Devils launched their own investigation earlier this year.
He was arrested in January 2022 after a woman alleged physical and sexual abuse on social media.
But the CPS withdrew the case after his alleged victim and a dozen more witnesses refused to co-operate.
SunSport exclusively revealed in April that Greenwood has told pals he will never play for United again.
It also emerged that Juventus are ready to offer Greenwood a fresh start in Italy alongside former teammate Paul Pogba.
Greenwood, who hit 36 goals in 130 games for United, still has two years left on his £75,000-a-week contract.