In the background of Manchester United’s on-field successes this season is the murky Mason Greenwood situation.
Arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour over a year ago, the 21-year-old has now seen the charges against him dropped.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service relayed that charges had been dropped because of, “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”.
Crucially, he was not found innocent and, given the audio tapes that emerged around the time of his arrest – the veracity of which has never been denied – he never will be. Not just to the courts, but to just about any onlooker.
As such, his career as a football, or at the very least as a Man United footballer, rests on a knife-edge.
As reported by The Peoples Person, the extensions of the Turkish transfer window due to the devasting earthquakes that have affected the country in recent weeks has led to a number of Super lig clubs enquiring about a potential loan move, offering Greenwood a temporary escape from England.
Whether or not that is a route the forward takes by this Sunday, eventually Manchester United will need to decide on a more permanent outcome, either to bring him back into the fold, or part ways with the academy graduate.
According to The Athletic, should Greenwood end up staying at Old Trafford, his reintroduction would be a phased one, taking into account all related parties.
That would certainly be difficult. It is not just sponsorships to consider – there is a genuine human element at play, with many in the Manchester United Women’s dressing room feeling “deeply uneasy” at the prospect of Greenwood’s return.
There are also fans to consider. Natalie Burrell, the founder of the Manchester United Women’s Supporters’ Club was emphatic in saying, “I don’t think he should play again for Manchester United.
“They need to make a statement and letting him back would be the worst thing they could do. It would set our club back in terms of what we’re trying to do with our women’s team and campaigns like Her Game Too, which are trying to encourage women to play and watch football.
“I just don’t want to see him training. I don’t want to see him in a (United) kit. I don’t want to see him ever coming out at Old Trafford again.”
It has been proposed that a phased return would involve a commitment to rehabilitation from Greenwood, involving counselling or therapy.
A television interview challenging him on the events as they occurred has also been suggested, with The Athletic claiming that a source believed that, “United may seek to frame him as a young man who has made mistakes and is remorseful for his actions.”
One would hope that, in the event that Greenwood does come back, PR framing would not be necessary for something so basic as remorse.