Ratcliffe reveals Man Utd stance on Greenwood's future

Tom Weber

Updated: 21 Feb 2024 18:57 GMT
3 min read

Mason Greenwood celebrates scoring for Getafe against Real Betis in LaLiga — © IMAGO

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has left the door open to a potential return of Mason Greenwood to Manchester United.

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The disgraced forward is currently on loan at Getafe trying to resurrect his career after Man Utd's plans to bring him back into the fold were thwarted by fan protests in the summer. Prior to joining Getafe, Greenwood had not played since being arrested over charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive control.

The 22-year-old has become one of the LaLiga side's key players this term, notching five goals and five assists in 21 league outings so far. This has seen interest in his services increase as the expectation had been that he would never play for Man Utd again and get offloaded in the summer.

According to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, however, a decision over whether Greenwood really will never wear the Red Devils shirt again has not yet been made. In fact, the club's new minority stakeholder, who will have control of sporting operations, has left the door open for a potential return.

What did Ratcliffe say?

In quotes relayed by The Athletic, Ratcliffe addressed the speculation surrounding the Man Utd academy graduate. “He’s a Manchester United footballer so we are in charge of football,” the 71-year-old said. “So the answer is yes, we have to make decisions.

"It’s quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that’s been made. The process will be: understand the facts not the hype and then try and come to a fair decision on the basis of values, which is basically 'is he a good guy or not,' and answer 'could he play sincerely for Manchester United well and would we be comfortable with it and would the fans be comfortable with it?'”

The INEOS chief also commented on the matter while speaking to the BBC, saying: "We need to look at facts, judge fairly and take into consideration what the values of the club are. Then we come out of that with a decision. It is not appropriate for me to comment on Mason Greenwood."