Manchester United Begin Major Clearout with Release of 7 Youngsters
The controversial Mason Greenwood exits the club
INEOS Group have started a major clearout at Manchester United, with the goal of creating a squad built in the manager, Erik ten Hag's, image for the foreseeable future. United have a history of hanging onto young players past their sell-by date, and today they have massively corrected for that. Several academy graduates who have not nailed down spots in the first team have had their contracts terminated and will be leaving the club. This includes the following: Tyler Fredricson, Shola Shoretire, Conor McNeill, Omari Forson, Toby Collyer and Habeeb Ogunneye. United want to have a much tighter, stricter first-team path going forwards. Either you're good enough to get in, or you will be moved on to a new club to develop your career elsewhere.
The real headline though was the release of Mason Greenwood. Greenwood was accused of domestic abuse after pictures and audio tape leaked of his girlfriend, who had been visibly beaten. Despite charges being dropped, INEOS and ten Hag have determined that they do not want to be associated with the player or deal with the outrage from fans, the women's team and others by keeping him at the club. His contract has also been terminated and he will be free to join any club in Europe or elsewhere.
These releases just mark the start of the sweeping changes expected this season. All signs point towards United trying to trim the squad down to a more manageable 25, and possible departure of players who were integral to the team last season or have been over the past few years to try to build a team that more accurately reflects what ten Hag wants to see on the pitch.
