Mason Greenwood is set to line up for Fenerbahce when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Champions League on Wednesday, marking his first appearance on English soil in nearly five years. The 25-year-old's last game in England came on January 19, 2022, when he was substituted in the 71st minute of Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Brentford.
Days after that match, Greenwood was arrested and later charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling behaviour and assault. On February 2, 2023, the charges were dropped, with the Crown Prosecution Service saying that key witnesses had withdrawn their involvement and 'new material had come to light'.
Rebuilding his career abroad
Following an internal investigation, United loaned Greenwood to Spanish club Getafe for the 2023-24 season, where he scored 10 goals and provided six assists. Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid were linked with a move, but it was French giants Marseille who signed him from United.
The Red Devils, who had him on their books since the age of seven, accepted a bid of €31.6million (£26.6m) which included a significant sell-on clause thought to be worth 40 per cent. Marseille's decision drew criticism, including from the city's mayor, who urged them not to sign the one-time England international.
Marseille and Fenerbahce
Greenwood netted 22 goals in his first season under Roberto De Zerbi, helping Marseille qualify for the Champions League. In his second term, he improved his tally to 26 goals, but with De Zerbi having left the Stade Velodrome in February, Marseille only finished fifth and needed to raise funds.
Despite being their top scorer two seasons in a row, Marseille opted to sell Greenwood this summer. The striker had been receiving backlash from supporters for what critics perceived was a bad attitude, and it was felt that a fresh start was best for all parties. Fenerbahce agreed a €39m (£33.3m) deal, with Marseille explaining: "This decision is the result of a joint discussion between the player and the club, who mutually agreed to end their collaboration. Olympique de Marseille thanks Mason Greenwood for his two seasons with the club and wishes him every success in his future career."
Greenwood helped the Turkish side qualify for the Champions League via the play-offs and registered an assist in their first game of this season's league phase, a 1-1 draw at home to Roma. He currently has four goals and two assists in seven Turkish Super Lig appearances.
Previous Villa meeting and international future
Wednesday won't be the first time that Greenwood has come up against Villa since leaving United. In August 2025, Unai Emery's side travelled to Marseille for a pre-season friendly, where Greenwood caught Amadou Onana with a late tackle and began laughing in his face. Villa's Tyrone Mings went over to defend his team-mate, grabbing the ex-United star by the collar.
Regardless of the reception that he'll no doubt receive from Villa's players and fans, Matty Cash is still wary of Greenwood's 'threat'. "A few years ago at Manchester United, he broke in and was one of the best players in his position as a young boy," Cash said at Villa's pre-match press conference. "He's still an attacking threat. He will come to England wanting to prove himself again, so it will be a good test. We spoke about it on Monday - if you concede goals, two or more, you won’t win games at this level."
Greenwood's contract with Fenerbahce is set to keep him in Istanbul until 2030. He obtained a Jamaican passport last year but refused a call-up for Jamaica, leaving the door open to play for England again. However, as of September 2025, he isn't in Thomas Tuchel's plans. "I have not spoken to him until now. I have not spoken to him or his camp," Tuchel said. "My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn't give it another thought. He was not in the mix at the moment and he is not in our thoughts for our team."
