Manchester United will allegedly announce Mason Greenwood's return to the club next week.
There have been significant developments in the story over the last 24 hours, with Man United releasing a statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming that they had concluded their investigation into the events that led to the 21-year-old being arrested last year.
The Red Devils insisted that a final decision had not been made, but a wide-ranging report from The Athletic said that Man United chief executive Richard Arnold had told senior staff on August 4 that the England international would be returning to the club.
Arnold had allegedly intended to record a video to explain the club's decision, but an announcement did not arrive before the start of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
In January 2022, Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault, and he was then further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill.
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The Englishman was also facing charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but the charges were dropped in February, so he is able to resume his career this season.
Suggestions that Greenwood, who has two years left to run on his contract, will move on loan have cooled, while a permanent exit is seen as incredibly unlikely.
According to The Sun, the forward is set to be reinstated by Man United next week, with the Red Devils preparing to bring the speculation to a close by making an announcement.
The report claims that Greenwood has the backing of head coach Erik ten Hag and the players at Old Trafford, and it is now up to Arnold to make the final call.
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Having not played or trained competitively since January 2022, Greenwood would not be in a position to come straight back into the first-team squad at Old Trafford.
As a result, it is understood that the forward could turn out for Man United Under-23s over the coming months in order to rebuild his fitness after a long period out.
Man United have allegedly not wanted to make an announcement on Greenwood until after the Women's World Cup, with England taking on Spain in the final of the competition on Sunday.
The forward has made 129 appearances for the 20-time English champions during his professional career, scoring 35 goals and providing 12 assists in the process.
Matt Law
