Mason Greenwood: Manchester United striker will leave club after internal investigation

Manchester United guardant Mason Greenwood volition permission the nine by communal statement aft a six-month interior probe into his conduct.

Charges against the 21-year-old England international, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped connected 2 February 2023.

United said successful a statement: "All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his vocation astatine Manchester United.

"It has truthful been mutually agreed that it would beryllium astir due for him to bash truthful distant from Old Trafford, and we volition present enactment with Mason to execute that outcome.

"Based connected the grounds disposable to us, we person concluded that the worldly posted online did not supply a afloat representation and that Mason did not perpetrate the offences successful respect of which helium was primitively charged. That said, arsenic Mason publically acknowledges today, helium has made mistakes which helium is taking work for."

In a statement, Greenwood accepted helium had "made mistakes" and took his "share of responsibility", but added: "I did not bash the things I was accused of."

He said: "Today's determination has been portion of a collaborative process betwixt Manchester United, my household and me. The champion determination for america each is for maine to proceed my shot vocation distant from Old Trafford, wherever my beingness volition not beryllium a distraction for the club. I convey the nine for their enactment since I joined aged seven. There volition ever beryllium a portion of maine which is United.

"I americium enormously grateful to my household and each my loved ones for their support, and it is present for maine to repay the spot those astir maine person shown. I mean to beryllium a amended footballer, but astir importantly a bully father, a amended person, and to usage my talents successful a affirmative mode connected and disconnected the pitch."

What is the background?

In worldly published online, a antheral - alleged to beryllium Greenwood - could beryllium heard shouting astatine a pistillate to "move your [expletive] legs up". The pistillate responded that she did not privation sex, and the antheral replied: "I don't springiness a [expletive] what you want, you small [expletive]."

The antheral past says: "Push maine again and ticker what happens to you."

Greenwood was charged successful October 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and battle occasioning existent bodily harm.

After the charges were dropped successful February 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service said cardinal witnesses had withdrawn and caller worldly had travel to light, meaning determination was "no longer a realistic imaginable of conviction".

At the time, a connection released connected Greenwood's behalf said helium was "relieved".

United past started their ain interior investigation.

In a connection past week, the nine said they had gathered "extensive grounds and discourse not successful the nationalist domain" and spoken to "numerous radical with nonstop engagement oregon cognition of the case".

In an unfastened missive to fans connected Monday, United main enforcement Richard Arnold said the other grounds included the alleged unfortunate requesting the constabulary to driblet their probe successful April 2022, and the nine receiving alternate explanations for the worldly that was posted online.

"While I americium satisfied that Mason did not perpetrate the acts helium was charged with, Mason's accepted that helium has made mistakes which helium takes work for," Arnold said.

An announcement of the investigation's results was expected earlier United's opening Premier League crippled of the play against Wolves connected 14 August, but the determination was delayed amid fierce statement astir Greenwood's imaginable reintegration astatine Old Trafford.

Fans protested extracurricular Old Trafford against his imaginable instrumentality earlier the Wolves game, and a radical of pistillate United supporters said they wanted the nine to "demonstrate a zero-tolerance approach" towards unit against women.

Female Fans Against Greenwood's Return enactment retired a lengthy connection to accidental Greenwood's reintegration would archer them "as women, that we don't matter".

The nine said they wanted to consult with their women's team, immoderate of whom were portion of England's World Cup squad playing successful Australia, earlier announcing a determination astir Greenwood's future.

More to follow.