- Greenwood will join former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi
- The English international has not played for Manchester United since January 2022
Mason Greenwood has completed his £30million transfer to Marseille from Manchester United.
Greenwood, 22, will join former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi after signing a contract with the French side. The deal is worth £27m plus £3.2m in add-ons.
The England international had not played for Manchester United since January 2022 and spent last season on loan at Getafe, scoring 10 goals and registering six assists on his way to being named the club’s player of the season.
Greenwood was arrested that month and later charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour in October 2022, but the charges and the case were dropped in February 2023 when key witnesses walked out. Greenwood has denied any wrongdoing.
His potential move to France sparked a backlash from furious Marseille fans, who launched the #GreenwoodNotWelcome campaign when he was initially linked with the club.
Marseille have confirmed the signing of Mason Greenwood from Manchester United for £30m
Greenwood had received a warm welcome from fans when he arrived for his medical.
But some supporters took to social media to call on the French club not to “betray their values” by signing Greenwood.
Marseille mayor Benoit Payan also opposed the move and said he would put pressure on club president Pablo Longoria to cancel the deal.
However, Greenwood received a warm reception from fans when he arrived for his medical on Wednesday. Fans greeted the striker with flares and chanted his name as he greeted them at the airport.
His former club confirmed the news on Thursday, sharing a brief statement wishing their former academy graduate “all the best in his future career.”
Joey Barton is one of the others who has backed the decision. “It’s a great signing. This kid deserves a chance to move forward with his career.” Barton, who spent a season on loan at Marseille in the 2012-13 campaign, wrote on X.
“We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. England would have won the Euros with this boy in the team.
“He’s as good a player as anyone who took part in the Euros. His behaviour and the public fallout have had a huge impact on his form, but he went to a mediocre team in Spain and got back on track.”
‘I hope Mason and his family find peace and prosperity in the south of France. That they are allowed to move on with their young lives. And I hope he can have the chance to make amends for his mistakes.’
Charges against Greenwood for attempted rape and assault were dropped last year.
Greenwood returned to Carrington on Monday to speak to United bosses about his departure. He has not played for the Red Devils since January 2022, when the allegations came to light.
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against him after key witnesses withdrew, but the club continued its own internal investigation into a series of harrowing images and audio recordings.
In August 2023 it was announced that he would leave by mutual consent after it was decided that Greenwood should resume his career away from United.
That came despite the club having initially decided to bring Greenwood back to the club before doing a U-turn following significant backlash.
Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also left the door open for Greenwood to return after acquiring a 25 per cent stake in the club last December.
“It’s a new decision,” he said, even though the club had previously ruled out a return.
‘I can talk about the beginning. I’m not going to talk about Mason. I know him. The beginning is what’s important. We’ll have other matters to discuss in the future.’
The striker has not played for Manchester United since 2022 when the allegations came to light and spent last season on loan at Getafe in Spain.
‘We are dealing with young people who have not always been educated in the best circumstances, who have a lot of money and who do not always have the guidance they should have.
“What we have to do when issues like this arise is understand the real effects, not the exaggerations, and then make a fair decision in light of the club’s values. That’s what we have to do and that’s how we will approach it.”
The sale of Greenwood, who made 129 appearances for United, boosts the club’s transfer fund this summer as the fee can be booked as pure profit because he came through the academy.
United are set to sign highly-rated Lille defender Leny Yoro for £52m, while Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee has joined from Bologna in a £36.5m deal.
