Getafe are ready to open talks with Manchester United about extending Mason Greenwood’s stay at the club.
Greenwood has scored seven goals and provided five assists in 25 games this season for Getafe, who are tenth in La Liga. The Spanish club are willing to discuss a permanent transfer for the 22-year-old forward, although there is a belief that another loan may be the simpler option.
Greenwood joined the Madrid-based club on loan in September. He was suspended by Manchester United in January 2022 after being accused of attempted rape, coercion and assault. He was charged but those charges were dropped last year after key witnesses withdrew and new material came to light which the Crown Prosecution Service said “reduced the chances of a realistic conviction”.
The forward’s contract with United expires in 2025, although there is an option to extend it by another year. The terms of the loan agreed with Getafe mean the Spanish club would benefit financially if Greenwood was sold to another team.
Getafe’s hopes of keeping Greenwood depend on United’s willingness to reintegrate the forward at Old Trafford. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose purchase of 27.7 per cent of the club was confirmed this month, previously said “it’s quite clear we have to make a decision” on Greenwood’s future. “The process will be: understand the facts, not the hype, and then try and come to a fair decision on the basis of values, which is basically: is he a good guy or not?” Ratcliffe added.
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Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, said he “does not care” about the allegations made against Greenwood and that he hoped the forward, who won a single England cap in 2020, would stay in Spain beyond the end of the season.
“He was not condemned [found guilty] so I do not care,” Tebas said. “If he was not condemned here, why would we condemn him?
“Maybe the circumstances have made it easier for him to come [to Getafe] but he’s a great player and I have got no other comments to make.
“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.”
Greenwood has faced relatively little criticism in Spain, although Jude Bellingham could still face punishment after he appeared to call him a “rapist” during Getafe’s match against Real Madrid on February 1.
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Bellingham had just tackled Greenwood during the game at Getafe’s Estadio Coliseum when he seemed to aim the comment towards his opponent, which Getafe requested be included in the referee’s match report. An investigation initiated by La Liga is expected to conclude next week, before the Spanish football federation decides on any possible punishment.
Tebas did not provide an update on the case when asked but did confirm that a lip-reader had been used as part of the investigation.
The Getafe president, Ángel Torres, told the Spanish radio station, COPE, last week that Greenwood is keen to stay in Spain.
“He is very comfortable in Madrid and he’s crazy about the idea of staying another year,” Torres said. “It’s a question for them [United], they have to decide if he goes back there.”
When it was suggested that United would not want Greenwood back, Torres added: “No, and there is a market for him in Spain, but it depends on money. It depends on Manchester [United].”
