Rachel Riley Post

[Phil H]

Pay up his contract or sell him to the Saudis, where no doubt he will be welcomed with open arms

There's no doubt that Saudi Arabia is hugely more hostile to women overall than many other places, but firstly I don't know if I want to assume that sex crimes are universally not considered a big deal there, and secondly - probably more significantly - a Saudi club that signed him would immediately become far less attractive to other players, sponsors, etc. from around the world, even compared to other Saudi clubs.

[Gavin Chipper]

Why were charges dropped then?

The victim (as happens in who knows how many less high-profile cases) took him back, and if I remember right, she asked for the charges to be dropped.

This is the part that's most terrifying.

It's mental that Man United still have him on their books at this point. They should have taken swift and decisive action much earlier. I wonder how the legal side of this works. Presumably in the contract there is a clause that renders it invalid if the player is convicted of criminal charges. However, when there's evidence of them committing a crime, but no conviction what happens? What's the financial hit for Man United in a worst case scenario? Greenwood suing them for unfair dismissal and loss of earnings for like £10M?

There's different standard of proof in a civil court. Greenwood couldn't sue purely on the basis that he hasn't been criminally convicted. He'd have to put a case that he's innocent of what Man Utd are claiming and I think it's done on the "balance of probabilities".

[Paul Worsley]

Manchester United have announced that Mason Greenwood is to leave the club.

[Marc Meakin]

Manchester United have announced that Mason Greenwood is to leave the club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66554874

Rachel can get out the red flags again

[Callum Todd]

As for the length of time taken to announce that Greenwood wouldn't be continuing at Manchester United, I'm fairly confident that all just comes down to money. They've made some unconvincing noises about their own processes, their responsibility as an employer, blah blah blah, but as alluded to above it's been pretty clear from day one that the guy's a scumbag so I don't buy that Man Utd ever doubted his guilt. It's just a case of the outcome of any trial could have given them the green light to terminate his contract at low cost to themselves. Instead they will have had to pay him out of it. If they did so in full it would have cost them tens of millions of pounds. The "mutual agreement" they've come to is likely some sort of settlement where Greenwood is paid less than he would have earned if he served his contract in full, with the understanding he can recoup his losses by signing for another club and earning money there.

For those not in the know about football: before this news broke a footballer of Mason Greenwood's age, skill, potential, and status could probably have been worth around £100m in transfer fees if Manchester United were able to sell him. So even before the millions in wages and settlement fees they'll have to have paid him, Manchester United have lost out big time financially. The delay will have all been about mitigating that loss.

[Gavin Chipper]

Weird they felt the need to say:

"Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for."

"While I am satisfied that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with, Mason's accepted that he has made mistakes which he takes responsibility for," Arnold said.

[Phil H]

Seems to be a common formula now. Admit generalities and deny specifics.

I think Callum's post is likely to be spot on.

[Elliott Mellor]

Could it possibly also be, given the somewhat ambiguous posts that they put out (which seemed to even imply that they may be planning to keep him), that they were trying to gauge the reaction if they were to retain him, and only after it has become clear that it was completely untenable for them to do so without facing colossal backlash have they decided to terminate his employment?

Also, what Callum said is probably quite accurate. It's a sad reflection of the way things work that such an apparently abhorrent individual can be paid tens of millions of pounds as a "leaving agreement".

[Callum Todd]

The BBC news article I had read about Greenwood leaving by mutual consent has been updated to say that he could remain at Manchester United, on full pay, until he is sold to another club. I had thought that his contract was being terminated with a negotiated financial settlement, as that is what is usually meant in football when someone leaves by "mutual consent".

So Man Utd are definitely looking to cash in here. Given he hasn't played for a year and his image is tarnished any transfer fee would be a fraction of what it might have been before any of this happened, but if a Saudi club comes in for him I'd expect a fee of around £30 million perhaps.

[Mark Deeks]

Could it possibly also be, given the somewhat ambiguous posts that they put out (which seemed to even imply that they may be planning to keep him), that they were trying to gauge the reaction if they were to retain him, and only after it has become clear that it was completely untenable for them to do so without facing colossal backlash have they decided to terminate his employment?

That's exactly what happened.

[Marc Meakin]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66586059
Rachel putting her head firmly above the parapet

[Mark James]

Mason Greenwood left by mutual consent after it was explained to him what consent was.

[Marc Meakin]

Mason Greenwood left by mutual consent after it was explained to him what consent was.

.
I think post of the month at least

[Mark James]

Mason Greenwood left by mutual consent after it was explained to him what consent was.

.
I think post of the month at least

Robbed it from twitter to be honest.

[Marc Meakin]

Most decent jokes and witticism starts on X or end up on X

[Marc Meakin]

Mason Greenwood goes to Getafe on a season long loan.
I wonder how the Spanish people will take to him?

[Callum Todd]

Probably not very well publicised outside of the UK