Manchester United have continued to pay suspended striker Mason Greenwood his £75,000-per-week salary, although there are no signs of him anywhere around the club.
Back in January, the 20-year-old was accused of rape and causing grevious bodily harm (GBH) by his former partner Harriet Robson. He is currently under trial on the same charges.
After a few days in custody, Greenwood was released on bail. However, his life is no longer the same, having gone from camera flashes and limelight to oblivion and annonymity. The Daily Mirror reported that the Manchester United forward has been keeping a low-profile since his arrest and is rarely ever spotted in the locality.
Greenwood last donned the Manchester United jersey in a game against West Ham at Old Trafford on January 22, 2022. It is difficult to see him in that jersey anytime soon given that his charges aggrevated from suspicion of rape to sexual assault and threatening to kill the victim.
The Red Devils striker’s bail has been extended twice, and the latest plea for an extension was accepted in June. Meanwhile, the club have done their bit to help the fans forget Greenwood was ever a part of their family.
Manchester United did not display the suspended striker’s jerseys or any other related product at the club megastore before their pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
Furthermore, the club upon launching their new jerseys for the 2022/23 campaign, did not put Greenwood’s No.11 shirts on sale through their online store. The only reminder to the public that the 20-year-old is still on the wage books of the Old Trafford outfit can be found on their official website.
Under the player’s banner lies his name with the description reading:
“An exciting striker who has been well ahead of schedule in terms of his progress through the ranks at United…”
His ex-sponsor Nike acted promtly when the player was arrested, by terminating his deal just a couple of days later. In the meantime, Manchester United will continue to pay him £75,000/week as per contract. An amount that they are obliged to pay until 2025 unless they get some clarity or a decision from the court overseeing the matter.