New Mason Greenwood transfer option emerges as Man United changes ‘expected’ under Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Mason Greenwood was exiled from the Manchester United squad under Erik ten Hag in the summer but chief executive Richard Arnold could still be replaced with Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking footballing control.

The English forward was banished from the squad following allegations of domestic abuse against him, including images and videos being uploaded onto social media, in January 2022.

Whilst the case against the 21-year-old was ultimately dropped earlier this year, the public nature of the accusations made his potential return to the United squad a big issue within the fanbase and those inside the club too.

Richard Arnold, who replaced Ed Woodward as the chief executive at Old Trafford in 2022, had originally made up a plan to reintegrate Greenwood into Erik ten Hag’s squad. This decision was soon to be reversed following major backlash after details of the plan were leaked.

It was later confirmed by the club that Greenwood would ‘recommence his career’ away from Old Trafford and he was sent on loan to La Liga side Getafe on deadline day. He has since made five appearances for the Spanish club.

Although recent reports have suggested that the forward would like to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, fresh information from The Mirror has revealed that he has other options within the country.

It was reported that Sevilla are among a number of La Liga clubs that are interested in signing Greenwood, whose contract at United runs until June 2025.

While it remains unlikely that Greenwood will return to Old Trafford, the original decision from Arnold has still been highly criticised and many suggest that the decision was only changed because of the fan backlash that followed.

In fact, the latest reports from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggest that his time in charge at the club could come to a close shortly after it has been confirmed by many reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to reach a deal to purchase 25 per cent of Manchester United.

The British billionaire is in the driving seat following Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawal from the process and it was stated by the Telegraph that Ratcliffe could enter the frame as early as this week. A board meeting is said to be taking place in the coming days.

Despite criticisms of his bid being for a minority stake in the club, which means that the Glazers remain the majority shareholders, Ratcliffe and Ineos will reportedly have total control over the football side of the club and a plan will be in place for the 70-year-old to eventually take over the shares of the Glazers.

With Ratcliffe and his team being in control of the footballing decisions, it is possible that he strips apart the structure at the top in a similar fashion to Todd Boehly and his tenure so far at Chelsea.

It was also reported by Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail that senior management within United thought they were far more likely to keep their jobs following a Sheik Jassim takeover than after an INEOS one. With the feeling among them that Sir Jim Ratcliffe would quickly install a number of allies in key roles and that they would be gone.

Romano, who broke the news on Sheikh Jassim’s exit from the process, explained that there could be changes within the club on his podcast, saying: “In the case of the directors, I expect Manchester United to change very soon once Sir Jim Ratcliffe enters the club. In the case of the manager, I think it is different because Erik ten Hag is really appreciated by all in the club.”

This could also put John Murtough at risk of losing his job as sporting director, with reports suggesting that Ratcliffe is eyeing both Paul Mitchell and Michael Edwards as options with vast experience in the role.