27 March 2023 , 20:51
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Mason Greenwood avoided being dropped to Manchester United's reserves for months because of Alexis Sanchez's transfer to Inter Milan in August 2019, it has been claimed.
Greenwood, 21, has not played for United since he was arrested in January 2022. The England international was subsequently charged with attempted rape, assault and coercive behaviour, but these charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service last month.
United are currently conducting an internal investigation into Greenwood's case, and he remains unavailable for selection. The forward was regarded as one of the best young footballers in Europe before his arrest, but it remains unclear if he will play for United again.
As reported by The Athletic, Greenwood was ordered to train with a younger age group after falling below United's behavioural standards. United planned to keep him out of the first-team set up for between three to four weeks but were forced into a U-turn.
It is believed Greenwood was brought back into the first-team squad after just a few days due to Sanchez's move to Inter. The Chile international, who was United's highest earner at the time on £500,000-a-week, was offloaded after a difficult spell.
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Sanchez was signed from Arsenal in January 2018, but he managed just five goals in 42 appearances during his 18-month stint at Old Trafford. United also sold Romelu Lukaku to Inter that summer, which forced them to bring Greenwood back into the fold.
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Greenwood had barely played for United at the time. He made just four outings in all competitions during the previous season, but he was United's reigning Young Player of the Year due to his scoring exploits in the reserves.
The emerging star took full advantage of Sanchez's exit by scoring 17 goals during the 2019/20 campaign. Despite this, it is claimed Greenwood's behavioural issues continued - especially once the Covid pandemic gripped the UK during March 2020.
It is claimed Greenwood held parties at a rented Airbnb in Salford when a ban on gatherings was in place. He was also spotted revving his Mercedes-Benz around Altrincham in Greater Manchester and sneaking out of a bedroom window in his parents' house.
In September 2020, Greenwood was sent home from international duty for a breach of Covid quarantine guidelines after England's 1-0 Nations League win against Iceland.
Greenwood was fined 250,000 Icelandic krona (£1,360 at the time) by Reykjavik Metropolitan Police. Manchester City star Phil Foden, who is still involved in the England set up, was also sent home and fined for his involvement in the incident.
"It's a very serious situation and we have treated it that way and have acted as quickly as we have been able to," said England boss Gareth Southgate. "We have dealt with it appropriately. I recognise their age but the whole world is dealing with this pandemic."