Manchester United has announced the upcoming departure of striker Mason Greenwood, suspended for more than six months after charges of attempted rape and assault, for which the charges have been dropped.
The 21-year-old footballer has not been found guilty of the charges, the club said in a statement, but “all parties, Mason included, recognize the difficulties for him to resume his career at Manchester United”. “It was therefore agreed together that it would be more appropriate for him to do it elsewhere than at Old Trafford (the club’s stadium, editor’s note), and we will now work with Mason to achieve this”, is it written.
This great hope of English football was arrested in January 2022 after the dissemination on social networks of photos and videos showing a young woman with a bloody face, with bruises on her body. “To anyone who wants to know what Mason Greenwood is actually doing to me,” read the comment accompanying the posts.
He had been accused by the same complainant of attempted rape and assault for acts allegedly committed in 2021, as well as controlling and coercive behavior, acts which had started according to the prosecution in 2018. Arrested in January 2022 , released in February, then reincarcerated for not having respected his judicial control, he had again been released last October.
“Based on the evidence before us, we have concluded that the material uploaded does not paint the full picture and that Mason did not commit the offenses for which he was originally charged. “, assures the club on Monday. He adds, however, that, “as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he made mistakes for which he takes responsibility.”
Trained at Manchester United, Greenwood made his professional debut in 2019. In 129 appearances, he scored 35 goals. In February 2021, he extended his contract until 2025. The club suspended him on January 30, 2022, within hours of the accusations, and he launched an internal investigation soon after.