Marseille signed Mason Greenwood from Manchester United in summer 2024 for £30 million. The move followed a period of controversy for Greenwood, who was arrested in January 2022 and charged with attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behavior. Those charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service after the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material emerged, and Greenwood denied the charges against him.
Internally, Marseille's decision to sign Greenwood was met with opposition. According to French reports, there was opposition in the Marseille boardroom to signing Greenwood. La Provence reports that Marseille's sporting director Medhi Benatia was keen to offload Mason Greenwood last summer amid concerns over his commitment and work rate.
Benatia expressed concerns over Greenwood's defensive contribution and claimed Greenwood avoided him around the club. Head coach Roberto de Zerbi initially shared Benatia's assessment of Greenwood. De Zerbi dropped Greenwood for matches against Lens and PSG in March last year.
Speaking about Greenwood, De Zerbi said, 'I expect more from him. ' The internal tensions reportedly escalated. A police report was lodged following a dispute among Marseille executives over the decision to sign Mason Greenwood, according to French reports.
La Provence details that a senior executive lodged a police report after sporting director Mehdi Benatia clashed with HR veteran Cecilia Barontini over Greenwood's signing. Barontini was opposed to signing Greenwood and also voiced opposition to signing Youcef Atal, according to the Manchester Evening News. A heated confrontation in president Pablo Longoria's office resulted in an incident report by local police, a report states.
The specific details of these internal disputes or police report remain unclear. Despite the opposition, Marseille ultimately signed Greenwood, who has played 73 times for the club. On the pitch, Greenwood has delivered significant goal-scoring contributions.
I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.
In his debut season at Marseille, Greenwood scored 22 goals in all competitions. He finished as joint top scorer in Ligue 1 last season alongside PSG's Ousmane Dembele, with 21 goals. Greenwood scored six goals in eight matches late last season to help Marseille qualify for the Champions League.
This season, his goal tally is a point of contradiction. Some reports state Greenwood has scored 25 goals so far this season, while others note he is currently the leading scorer in Ligue 1 with 15 goals, and has also scored six cup goals, one in Trophee des Champions, and three in eight Champions League games this season. Greenwood has surpassed his debut season goal tally this term, according to reports.
De Zerbi offered some context for Greenwood's earlier struggles, saying, 'Greenwood is a very good person whom I love, as I love his father. He's had a bit of a tough time lately because he had a daughter who was born, and I don't think he's used to playing such an intense season and being a main player. ' Despite his productivity, Greenwood's future at Marseille is uncertain, with strong transfer rumors circulating.
Greenwood is reportedly eager for a transfer to Juventus, according to reports. Juventus are interested in Greenwood due to Dusan Vlahovic's contract situation, reports suggest. However, meeting Marseille's reported £42 million asking price might be difficult, according to Italian reports.
A swap deal with Juventus involving players like Jonathan David or Edon Zhegrova has been suggested in a report. Atletico Madrid have also emerged as a potential suitor for Greenwood, reports indicate. Journalist Gonzalo Alvarez suggested Greenwood is liked by Atletico hierarchy and would embrace a return to Madrid.
Alvarez said, 'He lived in Madrid two years ago. He's delighted. ' He added, 'He made some good friends there.
If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined.
' Alvarez claimed the possibility of Greenwood joining Atletico Madrid is real, according to sources in Marseille. ' Another potential destination is a return to Manchester United. Mason Greenwood has the opportunity to return to Manchester United this summer, a report states.
Alvarez claimed the possibility of Greenwood returning to Manchester United is still on the table. Whether Greenwood will actually transfer this summer and to which club remains unknown. Any transfer would involve complex financial arrangements due to sell-on clauses.
Manchester United are entitled to 40-50% of any profit from a sale of Greenwood. Getafe are entitled to approximately 20% of United's portion from a sale. The exact terms and enforceability of these sell-on clauses are not fully detailed.
Marseille's season has had its challenges beyond Greenwood's situation. The club were knocked out of the cup on penalties and dropped out of Europe on goal difference. President Pablo Longoria addressed the decision to sign Greenwood, stating, 'For me, it's correct to speak openly about it.
Creating taboos in life is never positive. ' De Zerbi also reflected on his broader project, saying, 'His physical condition has declined a little, but my project in Marseille is not only to qualify for the Champions League, it is also to create something like what Luis Enrique has created (at PSG). ' The full reasons behind the dropped charges against Greenwood in 2022, beyond the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material, have not been publicly disclosed.
Additionally, it is unclear how Marseille's current manager Habib Beye views Greenwood's future at the club. Greenwood previously lived in Madrid during his loan with Getafe in 2023/24, which adds context to the Atletico Madrid links. As the summer transfer window approaches, Greenwood's status will be a key storyline, influenced by his on-field performance, the club's internal dynamics, and the financial implications of any potential move.