Mason Greenwood’s Getafe boss brushes off ‘controversial’ £75k-a-week signing as defiant striker trains with new team
MASON Greenwood’s new boss has brushed off concerns over the “controversial” signing as he trains with his new team.
The £75,000-a-week striker, 21, signed for the Spanish club just hours before the transfer window deadline closed on Friday.
Getafe have since released multiple videos of Greenwood being unveiled and training with his new teammates this week.
But the Spaniards have been slammed as “tone deaf” over the signing, which came just days after he “mutually agreed” with Manchester United to rebuild his career away from Old Trafford.
Getafe president Ruben Reyes has now claimed Greenwood’s arrival is “just the same” as the other signings made by the club.
He added: “We did what we do, sign players that are available to sign.
“There is no need for us to handle anything. We have signed a footballer who is just the same as Diego Rico and Oscar Rodríguez, and that’s it.
“We have to do our job, and that’s what we focus on.”
Mr Reyes added: “We’re very excited with him. He was a player that we knew was out there. We worked on it, gathered information and bit by bit we saw that there could be a possibility.
“We spoke to his family, to his dad, to his people for a long time. We were able to convince him to come here, to trust in us. We’re satisfied.
“He plays very free, as if he was on a school playground. He has a very high level. We dreamed that we could bring him here, and sometimes that gets fulfilled.”
Greenwood was seen posing for photographs with children and signing shirts as he was unveiled on Tuesday night.
He told a crowd of supporters: “I have been training for four or five months now so I am getting up to speed.
“I have been training with my team-mates and I feel quite good.
“We take one game at a time, I know the next home game is coming up soon, we are going to try and win it and do our best.”
The striker was today seen taking part in weighted exercises and using a resistance band alongside his teammates.
Getafe’s next game is at home to Osasuna on September 17.
However, it is highly unlikely that Greenwood is match fit, having not stepped onto the pitch since January last year.
He was suspended by United following his arrest in October last year.
Charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February following the withdrawal of a key witness.