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Mason Greenwood has “asked for time” to consider his potential switch to French side Olympique de Marseille amid backlash from the club’s supporters.
Corriere dello Sport, an Italian sports newspaper, reports the 22-year-old forward is set to make a decision on his future by “tomorrow” after requesting time to assess his departure from Old Trafford.
Greenwood has not played for Manchester United since January 2022 following his arrest on suspicion of rape and assault. He was subsequently charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour in October of the same year.
However, these charges were then dropped in February 2023, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stating there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction” after key witnesses withdrew their cooperation from the investigation.
The club launched an internal investigation of their own which culminated in plans by United executives to reintegrate Greenwood into the first-team squad being leaked by The Athletic. This was met with acute backlash by fans, forcing United to hastily retreat and reverse their decision, deciding to instead send Greenwood on loan for the season, away from England.
The forward joined Liga side Getafe on a season-long loan where he quickly impressed, despite his long absence from competitive football. He would end up winning the club’s Player of the Season award, having produced 8 goals and 6 assists in 33 games.
There were moments of controversy, however, which served as timely reminders for why Greenwood’s future would always lie away from Old Trafford.
The most noticeable incident was a clash with England international Jude Bellingham, which saw Spanish officials probe whether the midfielder had mouthed the word “r-pist” at Greenwood during a match between Real Madrid and Getafe. Greenwood was believed to have wanted the case to be dropped immediately, not wishing for any further attention to be drawn to him, and Bellingham was not charged with anything.
United officials have been seeking to facilitate a permanent departure for the 22-year-old forward this summer, as they seek to generate as much income as possible to help bolster the club’s transfer budget.
The best offer – and one which has been accepted – came from Marseille, worth a reported €31.6million. Greenwood was also reported to have given his “green light” to the proposal by the French club.
However, Marseille fans were unhappy with potentially signing a player with Greenwood’s recent past, and “launched a protest movement on social networks”, with the Mayor of the city, Benoit Payan, also condemning the transfer. “Greenwood’s behaviour is unspeakable, unacceptable. Hitting his wife… I saw images that deeply shocked me. Attacking his wife in this way is unworthy of a man and I believe he cannot have a place in this team,” Payan stated.
And it’s this visceral reaction which is likely giving Greenwood pause over a deal which had appeared locked in last week, as explained by Corriere dello Sport. “[Marseille] has the agreement with United. But the Englishman asked for time, shaken by the revolt staged by the Marseille ultras and by the diktat of the mayor of Marseille: ‘We don’t want it.’”
From United’s perspective, Old Trafford officials will be desperate to confirm this transfer as quickly as possible. It will enable the club to move on and be free from a situation always likely to spark controversy, while also buttressing the transfer budget in an extremely important window for the Red Devils.
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