Partner and Head of Sport at Mishcon de Reya, Simon Leaf, joined BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast to discuss news that Mason Greenwood will leave Manchester United by mutual agreement following an internal investigation into his conduct.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 following allegations surrounding material which was published online. Charges, which included attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023. Simon discussed the legal options the club and player had and analysed several of the factors that would have been considered when reaching the decision, including potential commercial and reputational implications.
He explained: "This is a very difficult and delicate situation for all concerned. Manchester United, in particular, have had to tread a real legal tightrope here, initially by respecting the police investigation, which accounts for some of the delay in the decision-making process.
"As an employee of the club for several years, they owe Greenwood a duty of care as they do the other employees of the club. There are also reputational concerns and the fact that many of their own commercial deals will almost certainly contain anti-embarrassment clauses that could potentially allow sponsors to walk away from the club if these types of situations aren’t handled correctly."