Marseille's decision to sign Mason Greenwood from Manchester United in the summer of 2024 for approximately £30 million was marked by internal conflict, stemming from his legal background. Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and charged with attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behavior, but the charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service after key witnesses withdrew and new material came to light. A police report was filed following a dispute among Marseille executives over the decision to sign Greenwood, according to French reports.
Marseille human resources veteran Cecilia Barontini was opposed to signing Greenwood and also opposed signing Youcef Atal, reports indicate. On the pitch, Greenwood was Marseille's joint top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 21 goals, alongside PSG's Ousmane Dembele, according to multiple reports. This season, he has scored six cup goals, one in the Trophee des Champions, and three in eight Champions League games.
He lived in Madrid two years ago. He's delighted. He loves Madrid. He made some good friends there. He likes the idea of returning.
Despite this output, concerns have emerged within the club about his commitment. Marseille's sporting director Medhi Benatia was keen to sell Greenwood last summer due to concerns over his commitment, work rate, and defensive contribution, according to La Provence. Marseille head coach Roberto de Zerbi dropped Greenwood for matches against Lens and PSG in March last year.
The decision to bring Greenwood to Marseille was personally driven by president Pablo Longoria. According to Daily Mirror - Football, Longoria described consulting his mother before deciding to sign Greenwood, calling it a massive market opportunity from a sporting perspective after careful analysis and due diligence. Privately, Greenwood is worried about a sell-on clause in his Marseille transfer that could hinder his next move, reports suggest.
Although he also has the option of going back home, which is Manchester United. We'll see what happens but sources in Marseille tell me that the possibility of Greenwood joining Atletico Madrid is real.
Manchester United is entitled to 40-50% of the profit from any future sale of Greenwood by Marseille, though the exact percentage remains unclear. Transfer interest in Greenwood is mounting as the summer window approaches. Atletico Madrid is a potential suitor as they seek a possible successor for Julian Alvarez, according to journalist Gonzalo Alvarez.
According to Daily Express - Sport, Alvarez described Greenwood as liked by the Atletico Madrid hierarchy and embracing a return to Madrid. Juventus has also shown interest in Greenwood, but meeting Marseille's reported £42 million asking price might be difficult, according to Italian reports. Marseille's current asking price is not definitively known.
Greenwood's future could include a return to his former club. According to Daily Express - Sport, Gonzalo Alvarez described Greenwood having the option of returning to Manchester United this summer, though it is uncertain if there is genuine interest from United in re-signing him. The status of the police report filed over the internal dispute at Marseille regarding Greenwood's signing is also unclear.
With multiple clubs in the mix, it remains to be seen which destination is most likely for Greenwood if he leaves Marseille this summer.