Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and director of football, Jason Wilcox
Manchester United have been tipped to spend €100m on bringing Mason Greenwood back to Old Trafford after his four-goal salvo at the weekend saw him showered with praise, though there are three glaring reasons why the rumour can be emphatically dismissed.
Greenwood departed Old Trafford permanently in July 2024, joining Marseille in a €31.6m (£26.7m) move after a year on loan in Spain with Getafe. While he was seen as one of the most gifted players to have broken through at Manchester United in recent years, serious criminal allegations brought against the player, which were ultimately dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, left the club feeling it would be best if they moved him on.
Since the move to France, though, the 24-year-old has taken his game to another level, scoring 29 times in 46 appearances and adding 10 assists, giving him a goal contribution every 1.17 appearances.
This season, and off the back of a four-goal salvo at the weekend that saw Le Havre beaten 6-2 to send his side top of Ligue 1, Greenwood now has 11 G/As from 10 appearances – one every 71.36 minutes.
Now, according to Spanish website Fichajes, United chiefs have seen enough to ‘decide to take an ambitious step in the market and are preparing an outlay of close to €100m to repatriate’ Greenwood in the summer.
The report adds: ‘Manchester United let Mason Greenwood leave for Olympique Marseille in 2024 for around €26 million and retains a 50% release clause on his future sale. Sources close to the English club indicate they are not satisfied with receiving that portion and want to rectify the situation with an outright purchase.
‘In Manchester, they suggest that the €100 million fee would allow Mason Greenwood to be brought back without sharing profits or depending on subsequent release clauses. The club values both his performance in France and his commercial potential following his improved image.’
Those links to Greenwood come off the back of claims from his manager at Marseille, Roberto De Zerbi, claiming the player has it in his locker to become the “best player in the world”….
De Zerbi tips Mason Greenwood to become best player in the world
Speaking to the media, former Brighton boss De Zerbi believes the 24-year-old is more than capable of matching the world’s elite stars.
“It’s true that Mason can do more, not just in terms of goals scored because in that area he doesn’t need to do better. He’s already a top player in front of goal, but he can become one of the best players in the world, because he has the ability.
“He can improve in helping the team when it needs it, when it’s necessary. But I want to protect Mason from criticism; he’s always scored a lot of goals and never missed a training session. But he still has room for improvement.”
De Zerbi said: “All the credit goes to his mother and father. And I’m here to help him become more complete. When he needs a hug, a word of support, I gladly give it. And when I need to push him to give more, I have to do that too because that’s my job.
“I would especially like to help him be remembered, in this stadium and by these supporters, as one of the greatest players to have played here at the Velodrome. There have been so many great players here, but I think Greenwood has the qualities to be remembered that way. And I’m trying to help him progress.”
De Zerbi continued: “If he wants to become a great player, he must run off the ball. I saw Mbappe, I saw Dembele pressing without the ball, and Greenwood has to do it too.
“He has worked on pressing, but not always. When he wants to, he does it, and he must understand that this effort is what separates the greats.”
Three reasons why Greenwood, Man Utd claims must be ignored
Talk of Greenwood returning to Old Trafford is ambitious to say the least, especially giving the controversial tag that is still attached to the player.
While allegations against the player were dropped, United chiefs still decided it best for all parties for him to move on – and would the landscape really have changed that much just 15 months after his sale?
Furthermore, to say United would spend €100m on player they sold for a third of that seems ludicrous to say the least. Granted, the complexities of the deal – and the 50% sell-on they would receive – would ensure they would not need to spend the entire fee. But it seems beyond the practices of good transfer management – something the new INEOS era has prided itself on since taking charge some 18 months ago.
Furthermore, we understand United’s priorities lie elsewhere right now with Ruben Amorim’s side focused on adding a new No.6 to their side, and with sources revealing plans to sign two midfielders – one in January and one next summer – as next on their agenda.
It would also seem crazy to suggest United would spend such a huge sum of money to strengthen in an area they have already spent big on, with £71m summer signing Bryan Mbeumo starting to really hit form now and having scored an excellent opener in Sunday’s win at Anfield in front of the Kop.
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On that quest for a new midfielder, there are concerns over the form of Carlos Baleba at Brighton & Hove Albion, with sources confirming that United are now prioritising two other players over the £100m-rated Cameroon international.
With United still celebrating the biggest moment of the Amorim era so far, for three players, the win will have served as painful reminders that they have no long-term future under the Portuguese, and with Roy Keane explaining why one high-profile star simply may have to move on.
Finally, Amorim will have been hugely satisfied by the performance of Senne Lammens at Anfield, following his impressive debut against Sunderland.
Off the back of that outing, United have been told the 23-year-old could incredibly become ‘the best in the world’.