‘Don’t care’ – Mason Greenwood’s past no problem in La Liga transfer as president Javier Tebas welcomes talk of Barcelona & Atletico Madrid interest in Manchester United-owned forward

One-cap England international Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. He was suspended by Manchester United, but saw all charges against him dropped in February 2023 – eventually paving the way for a loan move to Getafe.

Greenwood has impressed during a season-long loan, registering seven goals and five assists, with his exploits said to be catching the eye of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. A permanent transfer could be on the cards for 2024, with Tebas explaining why he would be happy to see a deal pushed through.

La Liga chief Tebas has told a media briefing at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit: “He’s doing really well at Getafe as a player and I hope he continues to be successful and he continues to stay in Spanish football because that’s always good for us. He is just another player. He had a past, but not a past we can do anything about. He was innocent and wasn’t condemned. We can’t be judges for everything. If we did that, we’d have no teams. I’m a lawyer, so it’s important to say he is not condemned. He was acquitted here [in the UK]. Should we have reopened the case in Spain? Do I know the case in great detail? No. Greenwood was not condemned, so I don’t care.”

United are expected to sanction a sale in the next transfer window, although Sir Jim Ratcliffe has left the door ajar for a return to Old Trafford. The INEOS chief has said: “It’s quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that’s been made. We will make a decision, and we will justify it one way or the other. He’s on loan obviously, but he’s not the only one – we’ve got one or two footballers that we have to deal with and we have to make a decision on, so we will do that.”

Greenwood is under contract in Manchester until 2025, but has enjoyed making a fresh start in Spain and some reports suggest that he would snub the chance to rejoin the Red Devils’ ranks if such an opportunity were to present itself.