24 February 2024 , 20:30
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has risked wrecking the feel-good factor generated by his arrival at Manchester United by offering Mason Greenwood an Old Trafford lifeline.
Ratcliffe feels it is madness that United are heavily subsidising Greenwood's £75,000-a-week wages during his loan spell at La Liga club Getafe and that he could lose a player who was once valued at more than £50million for nothing.
He has promised to investigate how the 22-year-old might be reintegrated back into Erik ten Hag's squad. Greenwood was sent on loan to Spanish club Getafe for the season, despite having charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive behaviour dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service last year.
Ratcliffe has promised “a fresh decision” and added: “What we need to do when we have issues like that is understand the real effects and not the hype. Then we need to make a fair decision in light of the club’s values.”
His words have sent shockwaves through the club at a time when there is real hope that Britain’s richest man would repair some of the long-term damage inflicted by the Glazer family’s 19-year reign at the club.
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Former chief executive Richard Arnold initially looked into bringing Greenwood back into the fold only to perform a U-turn following a huge backlash from fans, celebrity supporters and members of parliament.
It was reported that several members of Ten Hag’s squad and the club’s women’s team also backed Arnold’s decision.
Ratcliffe’s admission that Greenwood could now be reintegrated back into the squad following the competition on his £1.3billion deal for a 27.7 per cent stake in United has not been well received in some quarters.
But the billionaire tycoon has a ruthless track record of following his own hard nose for business rather than being guided by the feelings of his employees. He has promised to bring back the glory days after his INEOS group were given control of football operations following his deal with the Glazer family.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has promised a fresh decision on the future of Mason Greenwood (MUTV)And the prospect of losing a player who was expected to achieve great things when he first came through the Old Trafford ranks as a teenager does not sit easy with him.
Greenwood will have just one year left on his contract when his time in Spain comes to an end, although United have the option of triggering a 12-month extension. Allowing Greenwood to spend another year on loan at Getafe while his contract expires is not seen as an option in Manchester.
Greenwood hasn’t played for United since January 2022 when he was initially suspended by the club whilst a police investigation took place. But he is enjoying such a successful loan spell at Getafe that La Liga giants Barcelona are now looking to gauge United’s stance on the player’s future.
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