16 August 2023 , 10:44
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Manchester United's chief operating officer has confirmed the club "now just need to make a decision" on Mason Greenwood's future.
Greenwood, 21, hasn't played for United since he was arrested in January 2022. Charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February.
United started conducting an internal investigation into the incident after Greenwood's criminal charges were dropped but are yet to make a decision on his future. The England forward still has two years left on his contract, with a club option of a further 12 months.
United were initially expected to announce a decision on Greenwood's future ahead of the new Premier League season, but that has been delayed. The club's chief executive officer Richard Arnold will make the call, but he will still need co-chair Joel Glazer to sign it off.
United's chief operating officer Collette Roche was asked by The Athletic to give an update on Greenwood's return. "We've done a really detailed and thorough internal investigation and we've asked as many people as we can around what happened and try to understand it beyond the original investigation done by the police," said Roche.
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"You'd expect us to engage with people who were relevant in terms of stakeholder groups. And now we just need to make the decision. That decision is firmly a decision that's on us."
United's head of fan engagement Rick McGagh added: "It's not accurate to say we've had full consultation with the fan advisory board on what decision we're making. This is not a consultation."
Greenwood hasn't played professional football for 20 months (Getty Images)Many fans don't want to see Greenwood represent their club due to the severity of the allegations. A protest against his return was staged outside of Old Trafford ahead of United's 1-0 Premier League victory against Wolves on Monday night.
United's fan advisory board and women's team have been consulted, but the decision rests with Arnold. Several members of the women's team have been targeted on social media after reports of their involvement in the decision emerged.
Reporters asked Erik ten Hag for his opinion on the matter during United's pre-season tour of the United States. The Dutchman said: "Of course, I have said my ideas and opinions but it's a club decision. We all have to accept that. I can't say so much about it, but what I say is I shared my opinion about it, so let's see what’s going to happen and what the decision will be."