Mason Greenwood: Nike ‘DUMP Manchester United star for good’ following his arrest
Sponsors Nike DUMP Mason Greenwood for good following the Manchester United star’s arrest over allegations he raped, assaulted and threatened to kill an 18-year-old student
Nike will no longer sponsor footballer Mason Greenwood, according to reports Greenwood, 20, was last week arrested on suspicion of rape and assault He was further arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill an 18-year-old studentSportswear giants now confirm their relationship with the player is entirely over
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Mason Greenwood has been dumped by sponsors Nike, abruptly ending their relationship with the Manchester United footballer after his arrest last week.
Greenwood, 20, was arrested by Greater Manchester Police on suspicion of rape and assault of an 18-year-old student. He was further arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.
The United and England forward was released on bail on Wednesday and big-name sponsors have distanced themselves from the England international.
The sportswear giants had initially suspended their relationship with Greenwood, and have today told The Athletic they have cut all ties with him.
A spokesperson told the outlet: ‘Mason Greenwood is no longer a Nike athlete’.
Greenwood has been suspended by his club pending the investigation, with United adamant that he will not train or play for them for the foreseeable future. Any merchandise related to him has also been removed from sale.
Nike have reportedly ended their relationship with Manchester United star Mason Greenwood
The United star, 20, was arrested last week on suspicion of rape, assault and threats to kill
Greenwood also no longer appears on popular video game FIFA ’22 and one of United’s official partners, Cadbury, says it will not use him in any marketing products ‘while these allegations are being investigated’.
England will not consider him for selection until the investigations are concluded.
Greater Manchester Police said on Wednesday: ‘A 20-year-old man arrested (on Sunday 30 January 2022) on suspicion of the rape and assault of a woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.’
Last week, a Nike statement read: ‘We have suspended our relationship with Mason Greenwood. We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation.’
But they have now gone a step further and terminated his sponsorship deal.
It is understood that in talks with Nike recently, the prospect of switching to a rival sponsor was raised unless Greenwood is given parity with other top players. There have been concerns about his ego at United for some time, even before he signed a new £75,000-a-week contract last year.
In a list of the most valuable players in Europe’s top five leagues, published earlier this month by CIES Football Observatory, he is ranked fourth at £133.9million. Other industry estimates are closer to £90m.
In the wake of the allegations, several of his team-mates appeared to look to separate themselves from him on social media, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Victor Lindelof seemingly unfollowing him on Instagram.
A Nike spokesperson told The Athletic that the sportswear giants no longer sponsor him
A report from The Sun last night says that this has piled pressure on other first-team members to follow suit, although it is thought that several stars believe it was wrong to cast Greenwood out with the law stating he is innocent until proven guilty.
On Thursday, United interim boss Ralf Rangnick admitted that the forward’s arrest was a ‘topic within the team’, saying: ‘We had internal discussions but I’m pretty sure everyone will understand those internal discussions should stay internal.
‘It’s an unusual situation for everybody.’
Greenwood’s accuser, an 18-year-old student, broke her silence recently to thank her supporters. She said the past week has been ‘difficult’ and announced she would not be making any further statements pending the police probe.
United have confirmed supporters will be able to exchange their shirts with Greenwood’s name emblazoned on the back for free.
In addition to Nike cutting ties with the player, United’s shirt sponsor TeamViewer said they are ‘closely monitoring developments’.
Greenwood, 20, spent three nights in a cell in Manchester after first being arrested last week
Cristiano Ronaldo does not follow Greenwood on social media, despite following team-mates
Security guards stand outside Greenwood’s mansion with the star toughening his protection
United’s official logistics partner DHL also issued a statement, saying: ‘We are aware of the recent allegations against Mason Greenwood.
‘While we do not tolerate any kind of violence, we will not be commenting on the situation while the investigation is ongoing.
‘Our partnership with Manchester United encompasses the team, the club and the global brand, and not one specific individual.’
Last week, Sportsmail reported that Greenwood has beefed up security at his £14,000-a-month Cheshire mansion after he was released on bail.
He has brought in two private security guards to patrol the rented house, and an expert has been to the property to install a home CCTV system capable of recording from up to eight cameras.
Rangnick is understood to have held crisis talks with football director John Murtough at the club’s Carrington training base last Monday morning to discuss Greenwood’s situation and the impact it could have on the team for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Greenwood’s team-mates are struggling on the pitch. Today boss Rangnick admitted they had blown their best chances for a trophy this season after losing to Championship Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
The Red Devils were taken to penalty kicks by the second-tier outfit last Friday, with youngster Anthony Elanga missing his penalty to hand Chris Wilder’s side a memorable victory.
Unless they win the Champions League, currently a 20-1 long-shot, United will set a record for their longest trophy drought since they were relegated in 1974. They are currently fourth in the Premier League table.
