Manchester United player Mason Greenwood is due to become a father for the first time, weeks after charges of attempted rape and assault against him were dropped.
The 21-year-old is still suspended by United and has not played for the Premier League since January 2022 when he was arrested.
Greenwood was taken into custody last year after a woman made claims on social media.
The charges against him were dropped three weeks ago, with the Crown Prosecution Service explaining that the withdrawal of key witnesses ‘meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction’.
Now, The Sun are reporting the footballer is expecting his first child.
It is said the forward’s family know about the pregnancy and Greenwood and the baby’s mother are ‘looking forward’ to welcoming the child in the summer.
It is also claimed Greenwood is keen to return to the Red Devils playing squad and resume his career as soon as possible.
While criminal proceedings against him have been discontinued by CPS, Manchester United are now carrying out their own investigation.
He remains suspended by the club but is still getting paid his £75,000-a-week salary, and currently has a contract with the club until 2025.
It is understood several of the Manchester United Women players would be ‘deeply concerned’ if Greenwood is allowed to return, while it is claimed a number of his teammates in the men’s side don’t want him back either over concerns it would disrupt their season.
Manchester United supporters groups have called for Greenwood to never play for the club again, and former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan told talkSPORT the Premier League giants may have grounds to cancel his contract for bringing the club into disrepute.
“Firstly you’ve got the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and he hasn’t been proven guilty… but while he hasn’t been convicted in a court of law, that’s not the same as being innocent,” said the White and Jordan host.
“Manchester United, in my view, would be within their gift to be able to consider this as bringing the club into disrepute.
“From a club point of view I would be looking at, is this behaviour – the nature of an arrest, with the allegations made against him – befitting of a Man United player?
“With that in mind I would have two options: Do I look at it as reputational damage that takes him out of his contract with an immediate dismissal – which opens me up to a situation where people might suggest I’ve wrongfully dismissed somebody?
“Or do I put him in a situation where I pay up his contract and extricate myself from the problem that way?
“It’s an incredibly difficult situation for the club… but I think, without prejudging, they’re into the grounds of bringing the club into disrepute.”
Source: talksport.com
