Mason Greenwood’s impressive form in La Liga continued on Friday night as he played a starring role in Getafe’s hard-fought draw with Villarreal.
Greenwood left Manchester United on loan in the summer and looks to have no future at Old Trafford, but his exploits in Spain are becoming increasingly hard for the likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe to ignore.
The 22-year-old has been one of Getafe’s best players this season, chipping in with 10 goal contributions from 21 league appearances. He played a crucial role in gaining a point for Getafe against Villarreal, with the result helping them to stay within four points of the division’s top six.
Getafe won an early free-kick on the edge of the Villarreal box, with Greenwood stepping up to take it using his weaker right foot. His delivery forced a sloppy clearance from Yerson Mosquera, which Nemanja Maksimovic capitalised on to fire Getafe into the lead.
Greenwood also came close to picking up an assist following a burst down the right flank, with the United loanee taking on several players before delivering a low cross from the byline. None of his team-mates managed to get on the end of it, but the ease in which Greenwood breezed past a number of Villarreal players did not go unnoticed.
It remains to be seen if Greenwood will be able to play himself back in contention at United, but the possibility of a return to Erik ten Hag’s squad appears to be slim at best. He was loaned to Getafe after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dropped 12 months ago.
United went on to conduct their own internal investigation, after which they decided to ship him out in response to backlash from fans, women’s support groups and members of staff. In a statement, they said: “All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.
“It has, therefore, been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.”
Ratcliffe, meanwhile, is yet to make his own decision on Greenwood’s future but will have undoubtedly been left impressed by his form at Getafe. Only time will tell if United end up softening their stance on the forward ahead of next season, with the Red Devils in desperate need of more quality at the top of the pitch.
It seems likely that Greenwood will be in for a busy summer, with the former England striker likely to attract no shortage of interest from clubs outside England. He has already been linked with a potential move to Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid have also been mentioned in connection with his signature in recent weeks.
Dutch agent Menno Groenveld has publicly offered his services to Greenwood, branding him a ‘top player’ who is worthy of joining his stable of clients. Speaking to Voetbal Primeur, he said: “That’s a player that suits my agency, I think.
“I think he is a top player, although you cannot sit back with him. You have to get to work. Of course, a lot has happened but, with a player like that, you can still make a difference. Then my input is also worth something.”