Manchester United have received a financial boost from Mason Greenwood’s transfer to Fenerbahce, but will be forced to hand over a portion of the proceeds to Getafe. The 24-year-old forward completed a move from Marseille to the Turkish club, triggering a sell-on clause that benefits United.
United’s Sell-On Windfall
As part of the deal that saw Greenwood move to Marseille for £26.6 million in 2024, Manchester United included a sizable sell-on fee of 40 per cent. The transfer to Fenerbahce is worth a reported £33.2 million, meaning United will receive around £13.3 million from the clause.
That money will provide a boost to the transfer kitty available to manager Michael Carrick to strengthen his side. The club have recently spent £85 million on both Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans as the midfield rebuild takes shape.
Getafe’s Share
However, United may not see all of the money earned from the clause. According to The Athletic, 20 per cent of the sell-on fee will go to Getafe after Greenwood’s loan spell with the Spanish side in the 2023/24 season. Therefore, £2.7 million will be paid to Getafe, leaving United with around £10.5 million from the sell-on fee.
The agreement was put into place amid the forward’s move to Getafe following his arrest for attempted rape, assault and controlling behaviour in January 2022. The case was later dropped, with Greenwood denying all of the allegations.
Greenwood’s Performances
Greenwood impressed during his loan spell at Getafe, scoring 10 times and providing six assists in 36 appearances. That prompted Marseille to make a move the following summer. Over the last two seasons, Greenwood has scored 48 times and provided 17 assists in 81 appearances in all competitions for Marseille.
PSR Benefits for United
Given that Greenwood is an academy product at Old Trafford, both the initial fee received by United and the money from the sell-on clause will be classed as pure profit under the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). This provides another boost to Carrick in the transfer window.
De Zerbi’s Praise
Greenwood was highly praised by former Marseille and now-Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi. Speaking in December, De Zerbi said: “I see him every day, he has huge potential. I don't see any other players in Europe at the same level. He has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or. It will be up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not. At the level of the qualities that nature has given him, that his parents have given him, I think he is worthy of the Ballon d'Or. I would like him to be more consistent. I know he needs to press with more intensity, he needs to manage the ball better when the team is in trouble, not lose the ball easily but keep it to allow the team to move up because he has the ability to do it.”
