Sport

Olympique Marseille submit ‘formal bid’ to sign Mason Greenwood from Manchester United

The particular sordid chapter might finally be closing.

Danny Jones - 8th July 2024

Manchester United might finally be set to off-load exiled forward Mason Greenwood as French club Olympique de Marseille (OM) have reportedly sent a “formal bid” to sign the youngster.

Greenwood spent the past season on loan at Spanish side Getafe CF after he was suspended by Man United back in January 2022 following attempted rape, assault and coercive control charges.

However, since his loan has now expired and the 22-year-old is still named on United’s retained player list, many fans are understandably wondering what will happen next.

Now, even despite the controversy surrounding the Bradford-born player, several teams across Europe have expressed their interest in signing the undeniably talented attacker, with Marseille now having taken that a step further and submitting a formal bid for Greenwood.

🚨🔵⚪️ Understand Olympique Marseille have sent formal bid to Manchester United for Mason Greenwood!

Talks underway between the two clubs, Greenwood’s still OM main target with agreement getting closer.

Man United open to loan with obligation to buy, sell-on clause included. pic.twitter.com/rRgNASlwPs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 8, 2024

As per ever-reliable transfer source Fabrizio Romano, talks with the Ligue 1 side are well underway and is thought that not only is Greenwood their “main target” but that an “agreement [is] getting closer.”

It’s said that the offer could be a loan initially with an obligation to buy and sell-on clause included, as United are not only just expected to sever ties with the problematic name but also make as much money as possible from a valuable asset that was once considered one of if not their most promising starlet.

A large group of female fans banded together to protest his potential return prior to his La Liga loan after some supporters still wanted him to be reintegrated into the squad and it was claimed former CEO Richard Arnold was keen to keep him at Old Trafford.

The club’s most recent position was seemingly that Greenwood would not be playing for the Red Devils again but with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS Sports having since taken over the board of executives, there is some uncertainty as to their stance on the matter.

Also reported by Romano earlier this month, Ratcliffe did receive some criticism for his lack of clarity on the matter in the few words that he has offered on the matter:

🚨 Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Mason Greenwood: "It's a new decision to make for us. He's Man United player".

"We need to look at facts, judge fairly and take into consideration what the values of the club are".

"Then we come out of that with a decision on Greenwood". pic.twitter.com/h7SGrKbkH1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 21, 2024

While Getafe did cover roughly a third of Greenwood’s wages during the loan spell, United were still paying the academy product approximately £50,000 a week – a set-up that many more fans took issue with for various reasons.

A massive rebuild is now taking place throughout Manchester United‘s infrastructure and with more players already/soon to be offloaded from the books, it would seem the chances are Greenwood will be among the outgoing names.

Nevertheless, as financial specifics are yet to be revealed, it remains to be seen how much Marseille are willing to pay for him and whether it will prove a big enough figure for a club looking to be much more shrewd in the transfer market.

The latest signing in the backroom might also factor into where the chips fall.