According to Mason Greenwood, Erik ten Hag said that the club, not himself, holds the key to his aspirations of making a comeback to the Manchester United first squad. The Dutchman is believed to have had his first official conversation with the 21-year-old forward after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges against him for attempted rape and assault on February 2.
Mason Greenwood has been out on suspension from the Red Devils since January 2022, and there are now questions over whether he will be permitted to return to Old Trafford.
However, according to The Sun, Ten Hag was eager to get in touch with Greenwood to find out how he was reacting to the series of events.
Since taking over for Ralf Rangnick, Ten Hag hasn't yet worked with the highly regarded forward, but he seemed eager to let Greenwood know precisely where he stands.
Mason Greenwood has gone for a long period with very little, if any, contact from the club, according to a source who described a private phone chat between the two to The Sun. When and if they communicated, it was never face-to-face and always via a third person. Therefore, for him, the manager's call was a major step, and he greatly appreciated it.
“The manager enquired how he was feeling physically and mentally and said he was pleased the charges had been dropped."
He thought it was the right thing to do to get in touch with Mason.
“But he was clear it will be the club rather than him which will decide if Mason can play for United again."
Manchester United is eager to take their time before making any decisions on the future of Greenwood because they are aware that if they permit him to return, they may come under intense scrutiny.
In order to inform their decision, which might be made at any time before the end of the season, the Red Devils are conducting their own internal inquiry.
In a club statement released last week, United noted: "Manchester United notes the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service that all charges against Mason Greenwood have been dropped."
"The club will now conduct its own process before determining next steps. We will not make any further comment until that process is complete.”
According to reports, some of United's veteran players are opposed to Greenwood's comeback.
After Greenwood's first arrest in early 2022, a number of the team's first-team players unfollowed him on social media. The present deal for Mason Greenwood, which is worth almost £100,000 per week, is scheduled to expire in June 2025.
The England international was later dumped by Nike, and last year, FIFA no longer featured him. Nike stated earlier this week that even after the charges against Greenwood were dismissed, they had no plans to resume their prior business relationship.
Nike have now confirmed to the Mirror that there is no change to a previous statement given to them, which read: “Mason Greenwood is no longer a Nike athlete.”
After his arrest and subsequent bail, Nike cut ties with Greenwood in February of last year. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) provided information about the dismissal of Greenwood's charges.
“If you feel you are or might be a victim, please don’t let this case put you off asking for help.”
A CPS spokesperson added: “We have a duty to keep cases under continuous review. In this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. 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.”
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