Mason Greenwood: Getafe sporting director defends decision to sign Man Utd winger on loan
Getafe sporting director Ruben Reyes has defended his controversial decision to sign Mason Greenwood on a season-long loan from Manchester United.
The move came after the decision was taken that the 21-year-old would not continue with Man Utd this season, and several clubs from around Europe expressed an interest in the forward.
Greenwood was facing charges relating to attempted rape and assault but it was announced in February that the case against him has been discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service.
This decision was made after it was ruled that “the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Greenwood was also subject to an internal investigation at Old Trafford and the club ultimately decided that Greenwood should look to rebuild his career elsewhere.
Getafe ultimately won the race for his signature, which has caused controversy among Spanish football fans. The club held an unveiling for the club’s three new summer signings, including Greenwood, on Tuesday and 4,000 fans attended.
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Reyes has now spoken out and defended his decision to sign the winger on loan.
“We did what we do: sign players that are available to sign,” he said. “There is no need for us to handle anything [off the pitch]. We have signed a footballer who is just the same as Diego Rico and Óscar Rodríguez, and that’s it.
“We have to do our job, and that’s what we focus on. It is a year’s loan. It’s very difficult to get an option to buy on a player [like him]. He will be here all season. There are internal discussions [between the clubs] but those are small details that we try not to share.
“They [United] appreciated the effort, how convinced we were. We’re very excited with him. He was a player that we knew was out there. We worked on it, gathered information and bit by bit we saw that there could be a possibility.
Greenwood has also given his thoughts on the move, and outlined his aims for the season.
“I am very happy to be here,” Greenwood said during his unveiling. “I have been training for four or five months, I am getting up to speed and have been training with my team-mates and feel quite good.
“We take it one game at a time and the next home game is coming in a few weeks and we will try to win and do our best.”
Interestingly, Man Utd have an option to recall Greenwood from his loan in January. So, despite all the controversy surrounding him, we could see the winger back in the Premier League in the new year.
Staying at Getafe for the full season is still the most likely outcome for him, however.
