Mason Greenwood is no longer a Manchester United player. He will now continue his playing career away from Old Trafford, as the club’s hierarchy eventually concluded that he should last summer.
Marseille have paid an initial €27.6million (£23.3m), with a further €4m (£3.4m) in add-ons, bringing the total package to €31.6m (£26.7m).
Getafe, the La Liga club where Greenwood spent last season on loan, are due 20 per cent of that €31.6m fee. United have also secured a 50 per cent sell-on clause as part of the deal, as revealed by The Athletic in December.
However, Getafe will also receive 20 per cent of that additional payment. If, for example, Marseille sell Greenwood for €50million, the La Liga club will profit €5million from United’s €25million sell-on.
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Interest in Greenwood was high. Lazio submitted a formal offer, having come close to signing the 22-year-old on loan at the eleventh hour during the previous summer. A bid from Valencia was rejected for not matching United’s valuation.
Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Benfica — three clubs who will be playing in this season’s Champions League — had also been monitoring Greenwood over recent months, as had Napoli.
Getafe were always interested in extending Greenwood’s stay for at least another season, on loan if not permanently, but club officials were pessimistic about their prospects due to a belief that the player wanted European football.
That could also have been a problem for Marseille, who will not compete in Europe for the first time in five years this season after a disappointing eighth-place finish. That and the level of competition that they faced generally meant the Ligue 1 club’s chances of signing Greenwood appeared remote.
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Yet the opportunity to play under Roberto De Zerbi was a major attraction to Greenwood. The former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach was in regular contact with Greenwood and his father Andrew throughout Marseille’s pursuit, calling daily.
Greenwood, centre, alongside Marseille president Pablo Longoria, left, and club advisor Fabrizio Ravanelli (Clement Mahoudeau/AFP)
De Zerbi has earned a reputation from his spells with Brighton and Shakhtar Donetsk as a manager that players buy into and who, in return, will defend them to the hilt in public.
The Italian expressed a similar message when asked directly about Greenwood upon his official unveiling at the Stade Velodrome earlier this month, amid criticism of Marseille’s interest from the city’s mayor.
“First of all, we haven’t signed him yet, so let’s not talk about anything at the moment. Only that he is a champion, an international-level player,” De Zerbi said. “I don’t know what happened in the past. I think people going into a private life without knowing it is wrong.
“What I can say is that once a player signs with Marseille, all the players, he becomes like a son to me and I will protect him from anyone. If I have to pull their ears or put him against the wall I will — but in front of people, I will defend him like a son.”
De Zerbi’s words, both in public and in private, resonated with Greenwood and his camp. After club-to-club talks ended with an agreement a fortnight ago, Greenwood gave his approval to the Marseille move last week.
Coincidentally, Marseille will play Sunderland in a pre-season friendly at Valley Parade in Bradford — Greenwood’s hometown — on August 3. As it stands, that could be the first time he has played at an English ground in more than two and a half years.
(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Greenwood leaves United having made 129 appearances, his last coming in a 1-0 victory over West Ham United in January 2022. A little more than a week later, in the early hours of a Sunday morning, a recording and graphic images of an alleged sexual attack were released on social media.
In the recording, a man could be heard shouting at his alleged victim to “move your f***ing legs up”. The woman replied that she did not want sex and the man responded: “I don’t give a f*** what you want, you little s***.”
Greenwood was arrested by Greater Manchester Police later that day. In a club statement, United said he would “not return to training or play matches until further notice”.
Nine months later, Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, coercive and controlling behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Greenwood denied all allegations against him.
He appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 17 October, 2022, after which he was remanded in custody for two nights, but that decision was overturned. Greenwood was granted bail with conditions and appeared at Manchester Crown Court the following month, where he was instructed to re-appear on 10 February, 2023.
Greenwood outside Minshull Street Crown Court in November 2022 (Paul Currie/PA Images via Getty Images)
Just over a week before that hearing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) discontinued proceedings against Greenwood. A CPS spokesperson said “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”. Greenwood had always denied all the claims against him.
United subsequently launched their own internal investigation into the allegations, led by then-chief executive Richard Arnold. Others involved in the process included legal counsel Patrick Stewart, communications chief Ellie Norman, football director John Murtough and chief operating officer Collete Roche.
In the first week of August last year, as later revealed by The Athletic, Arnold told other members of United’s hierarchy that the club was planning to bring Greenwood back.
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United’s plans were detailed, with some documents revised more than a dozen times. This included outlining public figures and organisations — such as pundits, politicians and domestic abuse charities — that were expected to be “hostile” towards Greenwood’s reintegration.
The plans also suggested how Erik ten Hag should answer questions regarding the matter in press conferences and the type of images that should be taken of the player during training sessions.
A proposed date for a public announcement was set as August 4, with Arnold planning to record a video outlining the reasoning behind the decision which would be released publicly. That date came and went without any announcement, however.
Following The Athletic’s reporting of United’s intention to reintegrate Greenwood on August 16, executives attempted to justify their decision to staff. Many United employees were angered by the club’s verdict, with some going as far as contemplating resignation or strike action.
The club also came under intense public pressure. Members of parliament, including the local Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston — the constituency including Old Trafford — condemned United’s decision.
Only hours after a constructive conversation between the club and Women’s Aid on the importance of educating players about abuse, the charity learned of United’s characterisation of domestic abuse charities like theirs as likely to be “hostile” to Greenwood’s reintegration and openly criticised the club.
Supporters also voiced their discontent, with prominent fan groups surveying members and many emailed Arnold directly to register their displeasure. A protest had already been held outside Old Trafford by a fans group, named Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return, before United’s opening Premier League game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After a series of crisis meetings among senior executives, United decided to perform a U-turn. On August 21, announced that Greenwood would resume his career away from Old Trafford.
In an open letter to supporters accompanying the announcement, Arnold said that while United were “unable to access certain evidence for reasons we respect” as part of their investigation, the evidence they could gather “led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with”.
Addressing the U-turn, Arnold said reintegration was “one of the outcomes we considered and planned for” among several that had been “contemplated and planned for”. His view, he added, had “evolved as the process progressed” and he claimed he was “taking various factors and views into account right up until the point of finalising my decision”.
Greenwood scored 22 times for Manchester United in the Premier League (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
United’s investigation, the club said at the time, had lasted five months and involved conversations with Greenwood and the complainant’s mother, with the complainant’s knowledge. United did not speak to the complainant. The complainant and her mother were given the opportunity to comment or correct the club’s findings and, the club said, they did not do so.
United said they were provided with explanations for the materials posted online and were satisfied that Greenwood did not physically abuse the complainant, adding that these explanations were not contested by the complainant’s family. Based on speaking to the complainant’s mother, United were satisfied that the complainant had not been subjected to coercive control by Greenwood either.
In a statement, United said: “Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.
“All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United. It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.”
In his open letter to supporters, Arnold said that Greenwood would struggle to rebuild his career and raise a family with his partner “in the harsh spotlight of Manchester United”, having become a father only a month earlier. The United chief executive also said that given the strong opinions around such an emotive issue, Greenwood’s return would risk spreading division within the club.
Ten Hag was among the figures supportive of reintegrating Greenwood into the first-team squad and was prepared to play him if available for selection.
The United manager was at least briefly under the impression that Greenwood would be part of his squad this time last year, as he had been the previous summer. In the months after Greenwood’s arrest, club officials maintained contact with his family and began to think that he was unlikely to be charged.
That only changed as the process dragged on and Greenwood’s continued absence was at least part of the logic behind signing Antony in a €100million deal from Ajax, with United in need of a right-winger.
(Candice Ward/Getty Images)
In a recent interview with the Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld, Ten Hag addressed that very point when asked about Antony’s United career to date.
“In that first transfer window, Mason Greenwood seemed to be an important candidate for that position, right-winger. We had virtually no one else there. Jadon Sancho can possibly play on the right, but his most natural position is originally on the left wing.
“So, when things went wrong with Greenwood, we had to do something. Number one on the club’s scouting list was Antony.”
After finally resolving that Greenwood would continue his career away from Old Trafford, United’s decision left them with only 11 days to find him somewhere to play before the close of the transfer window in most European leagues on September 1.
Talks went right up until that deadline. Lazio exchanged legal documents with United but were unable to strike an agreement before the 7pm deadline in Italy, amid concerns from head coach Maurizio Sarri over Greenwood’s lack of playing time.
The Spanish window was open until 11pm UK time, allowing Getafe time to step in and complete a deal to sign Greenwood on loan. United did not receive a loan fee and covered at least two-thirds of his £75,000-per-week contract.
Greenwood made his debut as a substitute in a 3-2 win over Osasuna, returning to the pitch for the first time in more than a year and a half. The 22-year-old would go on to score 10 goals in 36 appearances for Getafe.
Greenwood scored 10 goals in 36 appearances for Getafe (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
A day after Greenwood’s debut, Arnold held an all-staff meeting back in Manchester — at which, United employees were able to submit questions anonymously.
Many related to the Greenwood case and Antony, who was the subject of allegations of assault by his former partner Gabriela Cavallin. Antony denies the allegations, while an investigation by Greater Manchester Police remains ongoing. Others touched on wider perceived gender discrimination against women within the club.
Arnold insisted that United had “taken a lot of learnings” from the Greenwood case, including strengthening the level of education provided to players about abuse, reviewing the club’s processes for dealing with allegations and working more closely with domestic abuse and women’s charities.
United announced that Arnold would step down as chief executive last November. Of those senior United officials involved in the Greenwood investigation, only Roche now remains in post.
Stewart, Norman and Murtough have all since left the club as part of the sweeping behind-the-scenes changes enacted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe following his $1.3billion minority investment in the club, which saw the INEOS owner assume control of football operations.
In his first meeting with journalists upon the announcement of the deal in February, Ratcliffe left the door open to Greenwood returning, saying only that he and INEOS would make a fresh decision on the academy product’s future.
While United had not categorically ruled out Greenwood’s return at any point, even after announcing their decision that he would resume his career elsewhere, the club had maintained that they did not expect Greenwood to represent United again. Ratcliffe suggested that stance would be reevaluated.
“The process will be to understand the facts, not the hype, and then try to come to a fair decision based on values,” he said. “Is he a good guy or not… could he play sincerely for Manchester United well, and would we be comfortable with it and would the fans be comfortable with it?”
As Ratcliffe indicated, United’s new INEOS-led regime revisited Arnold’s decision and examined whether Greenwood’s return was at all feasible, but that a reversal would be too disruptive and distracting, while public sentiment would still be heavily against such a move.
United’s need to raise funds to finance new signings and their challenge to comply with financial regulations, including the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), also formed part of the equation.
The 22-year-old’s status as an academy product means United will feel the full benefit of his fixed €27.6m fee in the accounting books, although his sale has come too late to offer the club breathing room for PSR’s 2023-24 cycle.
Greenwood himself was not thought to be interested in returning to United in any case and harboured misgivings about his treatment at the hands of the club during the disciplinary process. A life away from Manchester in warmer climes, without the same level of notoriety, appeals.
(Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Greenwood returned to Carrington on 8 July, reporting back for United’s first day of training, but there was never an expectation that he would take part in either team or individual sessions.
Greenwood was instead granted additional time away from United while the club dealt with interest from suitors and finalised a potential exit. Talks between United officials, the player and his representatives that morning were described as constructive.
A deal was agreed with Marseille the following day, but still required Greenwood’s approval. That finally arrived a week later. After flying into the port city on Wednesday evening, Greenwood signed a five-year contract until 2029.
A 56-word statement published on United’s official website on Thursday evening confirmed the news. Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return reacted to the announcement with “mixed emotions”.
“Relief that this grim period in our history is over, and that survivors of abuse won’t have to face a reminder of their darkest experiences while watching Manchester United play,” the statement read.
“Sadness at seeing a generational talent who could have achieved so much at the club lost because his moral fortitude off the pitch didn’t match his talent on it. Concern for what happens next to someone whose horrific experiences came to light in the public eye.
“Hope that this whole sorry episode might spark some sort of change, and make young players realise that you can have all the talent in the world, but ultimately it’s your humanity and compassion, or lack of it, that will make or break your success.”
This chapter of United’s history has finally come to a close in the only way it could, with the parting of ways that many staff and supporters felt necessary.
Additional reporting: Guillermo Rai
(Header design: Eamonn Dalton, photos: Getty Images)
