Chris Sutton insisted Manchester United have made the right decision after they announced Mason Greenwood will leave the club and claimed there is no way the forward can ever play in England again.
The 21-year-old, who was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of a number of offences including attempted rape, will not play for United again and is likely to depart on loan or see his contract settled.
The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped the charges in February of this year after key witnesses withdrew and new material came to light.
But Greenwood has not played for United, who launched their own probe, since his arrest. That investigation went on for five months after which United found Greenwood did not commit the offences which he was charged with but have also concluded it would be best for all if his future was away from Old Trafford.
And Sutton, speaking on Mail Sport’s new podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off! Added Time’, alongside co-host and football editor Ian Ladyman, reflected on the saga and insisted there is no future for Greenwood in English football.
Manchester United announced on Monday that Mason Greenwood would be leaving the club
Chris Sutton (right) insisted the right decision was made and claimed the 21-year-old forward can never play football in England again after being axed by United
‘Manchester United only had one decision to make and they got there in the end,’ Sutton said. ‘It was the only decision (they could make), the sensible decision’.
‘No, (he can) absolutely not (play in this country again). The pressure on his team-mates and the scrutiny on whichever club he went to, that’s a no-no.
‘He will have to move abroad and just try to repair his career. He’s a talented boy, he’s lost his way, he’s made mistakes as he said in his statement. Big mistakes, and he’s got to just… it’s about small steps.
‘He’s got to try to get himself back into the fold, but he cannot do it in this country.’
Ladyman then posed the scenario of the potential huge backlash if a club in England did give him an opportunity, to which Sutton added: ‘Who? I mean, which club would take him in because they know the baggage it would bring and the scrutiny and pressure it would put on the club. It would be a problem.
‘It can’t happen, it won’t happen. I think from the outside looking in, I think, the country where he may end up playing is Saudi Arabia.’
Sutton also slammed the way the Red Devils have handled the whole situation and pointed the finger at United CEO Richard Arnold.
‘I suppose scrutiny will be on Manchester United and Richard Arnold, especially because of how long they took to make this decision, but they got there in the end.
‘There’s no doubt about it this has taken too long to come to a conclusion. Richard Arnold is paid a hell of a lot of money to make big decisions and be decisive at Manchester United.
The news of Greenwood’s exit came after a protracted internal investigation into his future
United chief executive Richard Arnold was responsible for overseeing the internal review
‘But, I think it has to be said that he seems to have faffed around with this one, tried to tiptoe around a situation and get outside opinion.
‘It seems to have backfired and I suppose his position must come under scrutiny because if he can’t be decisive and make these big decisions then it’s going to be a problem for him.’
Sutton continued: ‘That’s what he’s paid to do to make these decisions. And I think most people are baffled at the fact that there has been this reported u-turn.
‘People are thinking how on earth could they possibly take Mason Greenwood back into the fold and put the heat on the club and the players and the impact that would have at Manchester United as a brand.’
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify
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