27 March 2023 , 14:26
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Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood twice rejected moves away from the club as a youngster, it has been claimed.
Greenwood, 21, is currently suspended by his boyhood club and has been since January 2022. Charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive behaviour were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February this year, but the England international remains suspended as United conduct an internal investigation.
The player last featured for United in a January 2022 match against West Ham. However, a 'phased' return to action is reportedly among the possibilities being considered, with Greenwood under contract at Old Trafford until 2025.
According to The Athletic, a move from United's academy to that of City was a fear early in Greenwood's career. However, the player is said to have turned City down directly.
While a specific date for the rejection has not been given, the reigning Premier League champions invested heavily in their academy after the current owners took over in 2008. Current United winger Jadon Sancho joined City from Watford's academy in 2015, while other international players to join the club as teenagers in the 2010s included Leicester and Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho and Spain and Barcelona defender Eric Garcia.
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Greenwood is said to have raised the prospect of a City move with club staff, prompting a 'general concern' over his future. Ultimately, though, he opted to remain at Old Trafford.
Mason Greenwood has been suspended by Man Utd for more than a year (PA)The second opportunity to leave came amid interest from Juventus. The Italian club have raided Premier League academies on a number of occasions, with Stephy Mavididi and Samuel Iling-Junior among the English players to move to Turin.
According to the same report, Juve's approach came before Greenwood signed his first professional deal with United. It has been claimed that Greenwood's family turned down interest from the Italian club, with the player's father Andrew having developed 'a strong relationship' with United's football director John Murtough.
Mason Greenwood would eventually make his senior debut at the age of 17, coming off the bench in a Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain. Before his 2022 suspension, he had scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for Man Utd.
Greenwood last played for Man Utd in January 2022 (Getty Images)" Manchester United notes the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service that all charges against Mason Greenwood have been dropped," a club statement in February 2023 read. "The club will now conduct its own process before determining next steps. We will not make any further comment until that process is complete."
The Crown prosecution service also issued a statement in February. "The withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction," it read.
"In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case. We have explained our decision to all parties. We would always encourage any potential victims to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”