Revealed: Why Mason Greenwood has 'no great desire' to play for Man Utd again despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe opening the door for him to restart Old Trafford career

Ratcliffe has said the club will make a fresh decision on Greenwood following his partial takeover, seemingly offering the forward the chance to potentially resurrect this career at Old Trafford. However, Greenwood is "reluctant" to return and has "no great desire" to play for the Red Devils again, according to The Athletic. The 22-year-old is said to believe United "could have supported him better" over his court case and also realises he will face "greater pressure and scrutiny" if he returns to the Premier League.

Greenwood is currently on a season-long loan with Getafe, where he has scored seven goals and bagged five assists in 25 games. Getafe have made it clear they would like to keep hold of the winger but may not be able to afford to complete a deal. Yet Greenwood could still end up staying in Spain. Reports have claimed La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are both tracking the forward. Getafe's president Angel Torres has even claimed a move to Barcelona "would suit" Greenwood.

Ratcliffe told The Athletic when quizzed on Greenwood after seeing his 25 percent stake in United ratified by the Premier League: "He’s a Manchester United footballer so we are in charge of football. So the answer is yes, we have to make decisions. There is no decision that’s been made. The process will be: understand the facts not the hype and then try and come to fair decision on the basis of values which is basically is he a good guy or not, and answer could he play sincerely for Manchester United well and would we be comfortable with it and would the fans be comfortable with it."

Ratcliffe will take a "fresh" look at the Greenwood situation but The Athletic adds he is mindful "fans would require an explanation" if he were to return to the club. The new owner is also eager to avoid a repeat of last summer, where the club made a dramatic U-turn and decided to let Greenwood go after a backlash from fans. Greenwood saw criminal charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm dropped in February 2023.

Greenwood will see out the season with Getafe but it's not clear what his future holds. He is contracted to Manchester United until 2025, with the option for an extra year, with the Red Devils reportedly holding out for a fee of €40 million (£34m/$43m) for the academy graduate.