Should Mason Greenwood play for Manchester United again? Fans remain divided

In any other situation, Manchester United would have been happy to have Mason Greenwood back after spending the last few months looking for a Cristiano Ronaldo replacement. Who better to fill Ronaldo's shoes after his bitter departure than a rising star nurtured in the club's traditions, a seasoned first-team member, and a young guy considered mainly their finest finisher?

In that regard, Greenwood appears to be a better fit than 6'6" Dutchman Wout Weghorst, brought in last month on loan from Burnley to help guide United's assault. However, in reality, the Red Devils face a terrible situation as they attempt to traverse a moral minefield in light of Greenwood's prospective availability following the dismissal of the attempted rape and assault allegations against him on Thursday.

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“I am relieved that this matter is over and I would like to thank my family, loved ones and friends for their support," the 21-year-old said.

United has made preparations for life without him after his initial arrest in the last year, even writing off an asset valued at close to 134 million pounds just a month ago.

According to some of the transfer fees paid during the January transfer window, Greenwood's worth may be considerably higher if he had kept up his current course. But the truth is that he didn't, and when police arrived at Greenwood's door in January 2022, his glittering career ended abruptly. However, on Thursday, when the Crown Prosecution Service stated that no further action would be taken against the young forward, United found themselves in a soup.

There's no denying that the damage is done. Greenwood's reputation, as well as that of his club and sponsors, was tainted from the outset by the leaked audio file that set off this series of events.

Following his incarceration, Nike quickly severed connections with the United player without payment due to reputational harm and lost business value. A new arrangement that would have been worth millions was already the subject of negotiations.

While the charges were being looked into, Cadbury, one of United's official partners, announced it would not use him in any marketing materials and that all traces of him had vanished from the FIFA 22 video game and United's online store for merchandise.

Also read: United to conduct own investigation on Greenwood after dropped charges; Neville explains 'clumsy' tweet like

In United's situation, one of the goals of the internal investigation that was started on Thursday is to assess whether or not he has damaged the reputation of the team to the point where his 70,000 pounds per week contract, which has more than two years still to run, can be terminated. After all, this is a moral dilemma that transcends the field of play.

United has a massive global following and numerous international sponsors. Are the Red Devils willing to make Greenwood run out at Old Trafford once more in a red shirt? Are the supporters ready to see the forward back in action?

Here's what United fans had to say:

Those in favour of seeing Greenwood return to the playing XI:

Those against seeing Greenwood back in United's helm: