Southgate admits Greenwood could play for England again as ‘likely’ Man Utd resolution emerges
According to Gareth Southgate, Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood could play for England again but he won’t feature at the European Championships.
The one-cap England international has not featured internationally since his debut in the UEFA Nations League against Iceland in September 2020.
“It would be a big distraction…”
At the start of 2023, Greenwood was facing charges relating to attempted rape and assault but the case against him was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service was dropped following the withdrawal of key witnesses.
The Man Utd academy product has spent this season on loan in La Liga with Getafe after his Old Trafford return was scrapped ahead of this campaign due to severe backlash.
Greenwood has eight goals and five assists in his 27 appearances for the Spanish outfit across all competitions this season.
Southgate named his England squad for upcoming international friendlies against Brazil and Belgium earlier this week. Greenwood was not included but he refused to close the door on the 22-year-old playing for his country again in the future.
“Well for me I don’t think it’s something for pre-Euros. I think allowing him to get his career going again abroad appears to have been a good move but I have to say I have not tracked it closely,” Southgate told reporters.
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“I think at this moment in time it would be a big distraction for the team and let’s see where that leads next season. I would need to know more details about the whole thing before it was an option.”
Greenwood’s form this season has caught the attention of clubs around Europe and he’s been heavily linked with La Liga giants FC Barcelona.
His current Man Utd contract is due to expire in 2025 and journalist Ben Jacobs believes a summer sale is “more likely” than a return to his boyhood club.
“I don’t think Murtough’s trip to Barcelona has any standing on the Greenwood rumours. According to sources, the trip had nothing to do with Mason Greenwood,” Jacobs told GiveMeSport.
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“As Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said, Manchester United will resolve the Greenwood situation and determine whether they may consider U-turning and bringing him back to the club or, more likely, selling him during the summer.
“Manchester United’s decision will be more than just a football one. It will be based on speaking to various stakeholders per the original review. They will then see whether, within the market, they can get the kind of fee that they’re looking for.
“Given his form at Getafe, all indications are that Man Utd will be able to cash in at a very beneficial level, which may allow them to move more freely in the market. The trip was just relationship building.”
