Getafe chief says Greenwood 'just the same' as any player after 'dream' transfer
Getafe's sporting director has defended the Spanish club's decision to sign Mason Greenwood - insisting "he will be here all season".
Getafe have signed Greenwood, 21, on a season-long loan from Manchester United. The forward hasn't played since being arrested in January 2022, with charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February.
United announced Greenwood would leave Old Trafford in August following their own six-month investigation. That left the Premier League club scrambling around to find the player a new club.
Getafe swooped for Greenwood on deadline day, but only agreed to sign him on loan. It's believed they haven't paid a loan fee, with United still paying most of his wages.
Getafe have faced criticism for giving Greenwood a chance in top-flight football. Many fans have also been disappointed with the club's social media activity since the transfer, describing him as an "incredible talent" and a "star boy".
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Yet Getafe's sporting director Ruben Reyes believes the transfer is "just the same" as any other. He told reporters: "We did what we do - sign players that are available to sign. There is no need for us to handle anything (off the pitch).
"We have signed a footballer who is just the same as (fellow signings) Diego Rico and Oscar Rodriguez, and that’s it. We have to do our job, and that’s what we focus on."
Reyes added: "It is a year’s loan. It’s very difficult to get an option to buy on a player (like him). He will be here all season. There are internal discussions, but those are small details that we try not to share. They appreciated the effort, how convinced we were.
Greenwood hasn't played for 20 months (PA)"We’re very excited with him. He was a player that we knew was out there. We worked on it, gathered information and bit by bit we saw that there could be a possibility. We spoke to his family, to his dad, to his people for a long time.
"We were able to convince him to come here, to trust in us. We’re satisfied. He plays very free, as if he was on a school playground. He has a very high level. We dreamed that we could bring him here, and sometimes that gets fulfilled."
Greenwood, who's won one senior cap for England, has scored 35 goals in 129 games for United. He's previously been nominated for the Golden Boy award and scored 17 goals during 2019/20 season, proving he can be prolific at the highest level.
Yet it's unclear how match fit Greenwood will be after 20 months out of the game. The forward told reporters: "I have been training for about four or five months to get up to pace and I did a session with my teammates this morning, so I feel quite well."
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