Mason Greenwood might soon resume playing.

 

Despite the rape and assault allegations against him being dropped, it is still unknown whether the allegation exists or where.

 

Manchester United needs more time to decide on the 21-year-old’s future. 

 

If the club’s sponsors would permit Greenwood to wear their emblems, that may be one of the crucial factors in its evaluation; a lawyer told Sky News.

 

After the player was charged with attempted rape and assault in an inquiry started after claims arose in video and photos, Manchester United has handed the matter over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a year.

 

After the “withdrawal of key witnesses and additional material that came to light,” the CPS claimed it had a “responsibility to stop the case.”

 

When the criminal inquiry was launched in January 2022, Greenwood’s career was about to take off, and he was on his way to becoming an important member of the Old Trafford squad.

 

Since then, he has continued to be in a de facto suspension after agreeing to skip training and refrain from playing.

 

Nike was among the first sponsors to break relations with him.

 

However, Manchester United must decide whether Greenwood’s treatment of a lady warrants excluding him from ever playing for them again.

 

Simon Leaf, a lawyer and the firm’s head of sports, said to Sky News: “In fact, Manchester United is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

“On the one hand, they will examine the contract to see if they have the authority to end it.”

 

“On the other side, if they act and incorrectly cancel the contract, they risk being susceptible to a future claim from Mason Greenwood. He may have the right to file a claim for improper termination, requiring the club to pay the full amount of his contract.”

 

Greenwood, a product of the Manchester United academy, was sought after by teams worldwide.

 

His former market value would have been in the tens of millions of pounds, and he has a contract through 2025.

 

Even if Greenwood has not been found guilty, Manchester United will incur costs by terminating that contract, yet, they may believe it is morally acceptable.

 

Whether Manchester United’s sponsors are willing to put up with Greenwood sporting their emblem and the possibility of demonstrations against him playing, especially from the team’s supporters, could be deciding factors.

 

Manchester United is among the most valuable brands in football, and the club values its business relationships greatly, according to Mr. Leaf.

 

“Many of those agreements will have highly severe anti-embarrassment clauses that, if violated, effectively allow a sponsor to leave if they believe the club has mishandled a situation of this nature and has further embarrassed them and the sponsor of the team.

 

They will keep that in mind when they evaluate the Mason Greenwood situation and decide whether they need to take more decisive action to ensure that their sponsors continue to support the team.

 

Manchester United must navigate a complex scenario when the club’s future is uncertain because its owners, the Glazer family, are looking for investors, which could result in a sale.

 

“The current owners won’t want to do anything that would lower the price they can fetch for the property,” according to Mr. Leaf.

 

“In the upcoming days and weeks, they will need to strike a cautious balance about this particular issue.”

 

Manchester United still needs to establish a timetable for the internal process to determine if one of its greatest talents ever plays again for the club.

 

Greenwood stated that he is “relieved that this situation is now finished,” with no hint of a desire to return to field.