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3 weeks ago
54 One of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first orders of business as Manchester United co-owner was making a definitive decision on Mason Greenwood’s future.
Given how Ratcliffe’s tenure has fared since he took the reins regarding substantial cost-cutting measures, staff layoffs, raised ticket prices and questionable treatment of the women’s team, his choice to offload Greenwood permanently in the summer is looking like one of only a handful of correct calls he’s made up to this stage.
Fans knew it was time to cut ties completely with the forward in the previous window. He hadn’t featured for United since he was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022.
Said charges were subsequently dropped in 2023 when key witnesses withdrew their participation from the case, after which the club decided to conduct a six-month internal investigation of their own to gain some clarity on how the accusations came to light.
Potential Greenwood sale spells cash influx for Reds
(Photo courtesy of Olympique de Marseille on X/Twitter)United’s inquiry ultimately culminated with Greenwood departing. They released a statement explaining that he would restart his career away from Old Trafford, with all parties in agreement that was the most suitable way forward.
Alas, he completed a season on loan with Getafe in 2023/2024 before signing for Marseille in a £26.6 million deal in mid-July, and he has since begun garnering interest from three La Liga giants.
Greenwood’s nine goals and two assists in 13 Ligue 1 appearances are said to have caught the eye of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid, all of whom were keeping tabs on the player last term when he scored 10 goals and tallied nine assists in 36 appearances for Getafe.
It remains to be seen if any club would make a formal approach in 2025, and in turn, it’s unlikely Marseille would want to part ways just one year into his five-year deal.
Should a potential deal come to fruition, though, United are poised to receive a significant influx of money through the sell-on clause they cleverly inserted into his terms, which TBR Football claims is worth around 50 per cent. In the event Marseille value the attacker upwards of £50m or £60m, that’s ‘a small fortune’ being deposited in United’s accouns.
