Greenwood to Juve doing the rounds.
Roberto De Zerbi: I’d protect Mason Greenwood like a son at Marseille
Roberto De Zerbi has promised to protect Mason Greenwood “like a son” if the forward’s £27million move to Marseille goes through, despite growing unrest over the potential signing.
The new Marseille manager is facing a backlash from the club’s fans over the move for the 22-year-old Manchester United striker. A number of the club’s supporters launched a “Greenwood not welcome” campaign on X, formerly Twitter, and a statement on the Olympique Marseille Forum spoke of irreversible damage if he is signed.
A £27million fee has been agreed between Marseille and United, but the player now has to agree terms for the move to be concluded having been told by United on Monday that there is no way back for him at Old Trafford. Under the terms of the proposed deal, Marseille would pay £24million up front with £3million in add-ons, also giving United a large share of any future sale of the player.
When asked about the possibility of signing Greenwood, the former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach De Zerbi replied: “No matter the player, once they sign here, they become like my children. I protect them through thick and thin. Maybe in private I’ll pull their ears, but in public I’ll defend them like my sons. He [Greenwood] is a world-class player. I don’t know his background.”
Greenwood had been charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault two years ago. The investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service was dropped after the withdrawal of a key witness, with Greenwood consistently denying the accusations.
The statement on OM Forum read: “At a time when negotiations for the arrival of Mason Greenwood are announced as becoming increasingly heated, it seems necessary to explain, once again and before the damage becomes irreversible, why this transfer seems inconceivable in view of the values displayed by the club and why it would mean for many of us a red line that would irreparably damage the passion that we have for this club.”
Greenwood is believed to have grown frustrated over the uncertainty of his position at the start of the week and wanted assurances on his future. However, he was told by United’s new football leadership team of Jason Wilcox and Dan Ashworth that there is no way back at the club he joined aged six.
United had been in talks with Lazio, who were thought to have submitted a bid of £30million for the forward. Juventus and Napoli were also rumoured to be interested, in addition to teams from Germany, Spain and Portugal, and United had been holding out for a fee closer to £40million.
This summer United are hoping to make as much money from sales as possible to boost their transfer pot. As a homegrown talent, any sale of Greenwood would count as 100 per cent profit when it comes to the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
