Richard Arnold writes open letter following Mason Greenwood's departure from Manchester United

We start with major developments at Manchester United this afternoon. Mason Greenwood will leave the club after a six-month investigation into his conduct. Our chief reporter Kaveh Solakol is alongside me and can bring us much more detail. There is a lot to get to but let's start with what Manchester United have had to say this afternoon. Yes, they've released a club statement and they say that Manchester United has concluded its internal investigation into the allegations made against Mason Greenwood. Our process commenced in February 2023 following all charges against Mason Greenwood being dropped. Throughout we have taken into account the wishes, rights and perspective of the alleged victim along with the club's standards and values and sought to collate as much information and context as possible. This has required us to proceed with sensitivity and care to obtain evidence not in the public domain including from those with direct knowledge of the case. Based on the evidence available to us we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason, these are the words of Manchester United, did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said as Mason Greenwood publicly acknowledges today he's made mistakes which he's taking responsibility for. All those involved including Mason Greenwood 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 Greenwood to achieve that outcome. Okay so that's the statement from Manchester United this afternoon. We'll also get into an open letter that Richard Arnold has written to the club's supporters as well but we can also bring you Mason Greenwood's statement himself which goes as follows. I want to start by saying I understand that people will judge me because of what they have seen and heard on social media and I know people will think the worst. I was brought up to know that violence or abuse in any relationship is wrong. I did not do the things I was accused of however I fully accept I made mistakes and I take my share of responsibility for the situations which led to the social media post. I am learning to understand my responsibility set a good example as a professional footballer and I'm focused on the big responsibility of being a father as well as a good partner. Today's decision has been part of a collaborative process between Manchester United, my family and me. The best decision for us all is for me to continue my football career away from Old Trafford where my presence will not be a distraction for the club. I thank the club for their support since I joined age seven. They will always be a part of me which is United. I am enormously grateful to my family and all my loved ones for their support and it is now for me to repay the trust those around me have shown. I intend to be a better footballer but most importantly a good father, a better person and to use my talent in a positive way on and off the pitch. Well Mason Greenwood hasn't played for Manchester United since January 2022 when he was initially arrested so just take us through from there to today. Well in January 2022 he was arrested after audio clips emerged on social media which appeared to be the audio of a man forcing a woman to have sex with him. Now it was alleged that the man in those audio clips was Mason Greenwood and he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police and he was actually charged in October 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and also assault but three months later the Crown Prosecution Service dropped those charges because of the withdrawal of key witnesses and Mason Greenwood has always denied the charges. Now when those charges were dropped by the CPS this is what they said. They said in this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances we are under a duty to stop the case. We've already reflected the statement from Manchester United this afternoon but there was also quite a lengthy letter from the club's CEO Richard Arnold, an open letter to fans which I guess takes you through why Manchester United have come to this decision and also why it's taken from February 2023 when the investigation started to now but maybe you can just summarise the key points from Richard Arnold. Well I think it's worth going through the whole letter because you know Richard Arnold says some things which some people may find controversial, some people may disagree with, so I think it's best to use his own exact words. This is what he says. Dear fans, now that we've concluded and announced the outcome of the club's investigation into Mason Greenwood I want to be direct and transparent with our fans about the process and the reasons for our decision. This was an internal disciplinary investigation between employer and employee which would ordinarily take place outside of the public eye. Given the public nature of the allegations and Mason's profile I acknowledge that this was not an ordinary situation but I felt it important that we still follow due process and so far as possible avoid media comment until I had made a definitive decision. When audio footage and imagery was posted online in January 22 my feelings were of shock and concern for the alleged victim. Her welfare wishes and perspective have been central to the club's approach ever since as have the club's standards and values. While we immediately concluded that Mason should be suspended pending investigation we were also conscious of our duty of care towards him and the importance of making a decision based on full information. Until February this year this was a matter for the police and the CPS. It was only when charges were dropped that the club discussed the allegations with Mason and others involved in the case. Our investigation sought to collate as much evidence as possible to establish facts and context. This was not a quick or straightforward process for a variety of reasons. It was essential for us to respect the rights and wishes of the alleged victim. Also we have limited powers investigation which meant we were reliant on third party cooperation. Timings have also been influenced by my desire to minimise the impact of the investigation on our men's and women's teams as well as our lionesses. I acknowledge that this gave more time for speculation but the alternative would have been to compromise due process or create untimely disruption. While we were unable to access certain evidence for reasons we respect, the evidence we did collate led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with. I'm restricted as to what I can say for legal reasons including the alleged victim's ongoing right to anonymity but I'm able to share the following with you which should give you some insight into the complexity of this case. The alleged victim requested the police to drop their investigation in April 22. We were provided with alternative explanations for the audio recording which was a short excerpt from a much longer recording and for the images posted online. The alleged victim's family participated in the process and were given the opportunity to review and correct our factual findings. Last week the media reported that we decided to reintegrate Mason and the elements of a plan to do so had been leaked to them. Reintegration was one of the outcomes we considered and planned for. For context over the course of the past six months several outcomes have been contemplated and planned for and my view has evolved as our process progressed. While the ultimate decision rested with me I was taking various factors and views into account right up until the point of finalizing my decision. While I'm satisfied that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with, Mason's accepted that he has made mistakes which he takes responsibility for. I'm also mindful of the challenge that Mason would have faced rebuilding his career and raising a baby together with his partner in the harsh spotlight of Manchester United. Further this case has provoked strong opinions and it is my responsibility to minimise any distraction to the unity we are seeking within the club. Although we've decided that Mason will seek to rebuild his career away from United, that does not signal the end of this matter. The club will continue to offer its support both to the alleged victim and Mason to help them rebuild and move forward positively with their lives. Thank you for your continued support Richard Arnold.