Manchester United could bank more than £13million this week if Mason Greenwood completes a move away from Marseille, with Fenerbahce and Atletico Madrid both keen to sign the forward.
Greenwood's Journey from United to Marseille
Greenwood left United to join Marseille in July 2024 after his Old Trafford career came to an end when serious charges were brought against him. Those charges, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023.
United did consider reintegrating Greenwood into their first-team squad after that but the backlash forced them to sell the academy graduate. Since signing for Marseille for £26.6million, he has scored 48 goals in 81 games and has attracted interest from around Europe.
The Sell-On Clause and Potential Bonuses
That deal that saw Greenwood move to Ligue 1 also included a sizeable sell-on clause, a decision that again attracted some criticism, but is set to pay dividends this week, with a move on the cards.
According to ESPN, both Fenerbahce and Atletico have agreed deals with Marseille. United would receive €14million (£11.9m) if Greenwood opts to move to Turkey, or €15.7million (£13.3m) if he returns to Madrid, having had a loan at Getafe while he was still registered at Old Trafford.
Impact on United's Transfer Kitty
That will be a sizeable bonus to United and will boost their transfer kitty in a key window, but Greenwood's move is unlikely to be mentioned by the club. They have become better at putting clauses in deals recently, especially for academy graduates, but this is a very different case.
There was also a buy-back clause in the deal that took Greenwood to Marseille, but a return to United has never been on the cards. The club carried out an internal investigation after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped their charges following the withdrawal of a key witness.
Club Statement on Greenwood's Departure
In August 2023, a club statement read: 'Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.'
'All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United. It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.'
