Mason Greenwood return to Man Utd still abhorrent after latest check on pulse of the righteous | OneFootball

After the latest check on the pulse of the nation with regard to Mason Greenwood’s return to Manchester United, we can confirm that people remain grimly fascinated by the possibility and that it’s still really not OK.

It’s an uncomfortable truth that football journalists are now all too aware of that Greenwood is a name which does good business. In part because he’s an excellent footballer who looks destined for great(er) things, but also because of the manner of his exit from Old Trafford and how his possible return continues to split opinion.

Greenwood faced charges for rape and assault in October 2022 but the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case against him four months later after the withdrawal of key witnesses significantly reduced the chances of a conviction. He was not – as Greenwood said in a statement afterwards – “cleared” of the charges. We all heard the audio.

Manchester United tested the waters. They gave inside scoops detailing his reintegration into the squad and were met with disgust from fans and (some) members of the media.

In a lengthy statement, Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return said the possible return of Greenwood “tells us, as women, that we don’t matter”.

It added: “It tells us that men who make the club money matter; not us, our fellow fans, mothers, sisters or daughters.”

To avoid a PR disaster, Greenwood was sent to Getafe on a season-long loan, before – after further suggestions that he may return to Man Utd were shot down – he was sold to Marseille for £26m in the summer of 2024.

And now 42 goals in 63 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, links to Barcelona and Premier League alternatives, and sell-on and buy-back clauses combine to make his future a particularly intriguing prospect for click-hungry websites. We’re aware that we’re having and eating cake.

Thursday morning saw multiple old Greenwood articles re-nosed for publication. What’s ‘Tuchel’s stance on an England recall’? Still a hard no. We particularly enjoyed Jurgen Klopp ‘making his feelings clear on Greenwood’ as one outlet looked to crowbar two of the most Google-able names into the same headline.

The flurry was no coincidence. Editors will have been on at their minions to push Greenwood on the back of him facing Liverpool for Marseille last night, sensing an opportunity for traffic with him front of mind for more English fans than usual. They will have been praying for a goal or two from the 24-year-old to provide a further boost.

One report claims ‘Man United officials have internally discussed the idea of bringing Mason Greenwood back to the club’. Who says? ‘Sources’ do. Could be groundsman No. 5 or – because it’s not ‘club sources’, just ‘sources’ – literally anyone. I’m a source, you’re a source.

That’s preferential on a moral level than if the ‘news’ has come from inside Manchester United, as that would suggest that they are again looking to gauge public opinion over his possible return. Newsflash guys: it’s never going to change.

People who believe he deserves a second chance and that everyone makes mistakes, who sign up to the view that ‘she’s OK with it so why aren’t you?’ left their morals at the door long ago and aren’t about to recover them.

Those of us who see the preservation of his career as a stain on football and want the verified social media accounts championing him to get in the bin aren’t about to forgive and forget on the basis of him scoring quite a lot of goals.

Just to be clear: It will never be okay for Manchester United to re-sign Mason Greenwood.