Manchester United have reportedly included a buy-back clause in Mason Greenwood’s move to Marseille.
Greenwood, 22, sealed a £30million transfer to the Ligue 1 club last week, ending the hugely controversial forward’s protracted saga at Old Trafford.
Greenwood was shipped out from United on loan to Getafe last September after it was mutually agreed he would play no further role with the club following an internal investigation.
This came after criminal allegations against him of attempted rape, assault and coercive control were dropped. The 22-year-old denied all the charges.
Greenwood’s move to Spain was widely criticised, but he was well-supported by Getafe and their fans, while he excelled on the pitch, scoring 10 goals in 36 appearances for the LaLiga outfit.
Man United have reportedly put a buy-back clause in Mason Greenwood’s move to Marseille
Greenwood completed a £30million transfer from Old Trafford to the Ligue 1 side last week
United claim there is ‘no intention’ of the forward ever returning to Old Trafford in the future
This led to significant interest in the forward this summer, before he eventually moved to Marseille, who are coached by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
And, according to the Telegraph, United inserted a buy-back clause within the £30m agreement with the French side.
While these are routine among transfers nowadays, the use of one in Greenwood’s case given his reputation is hugely controversial.
However, the report goes onto claim that United say there is no expectation or intention of the 22-year-old ever returning to Old Trafford, with it viewed as an extremely slim possibility the clause would ever be activated.
Meanwhile, it is also believed that United had originally hoped to recoup around £40m for Greenwood before eventually settling on less.
The Telegraph goes onto state that in return for accepting a slightly lower fee, coupled with the buy-back option, United included a sell-on clause which entitles United to 50 per cent on any profit Marseille make on Greenwood in a future sale.
Marseille mayor Benoit Payan publicly opposed Greenwood’s move, labelling him ‘a disgrace’
His move to Ligue 1 has been hugely polarising, drawing protests from fans, with the mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, warning against the switch and branding Greenwood ‘a disgrace’.
However, hundreds of supporters also gathered to greet Greenwood after he touched down in France on Wednesday evening, with both #GreenwoodNotWelcome and #GreenwoodWelcome trending on X.
Speaking after his Marseille unveiling, the forward insisted he has put the past behind him and is looking to the future at Marseille.
Greenwood scored 10 goals and added six assists in 36 games on loan with Getafe last season
He told La Provence: ‘Obviously, I am aware of this debate and I understand the question. I do not wish to enter into any controversy. I already had the opportunity to express myself on this subject last year.
‘I am now looking towards the future and I am only focused on Olympique de Marseille.’
Greenwood could play his first game in England in more than two years this summer as part of Marseille’s pre-season schedule.
On August 3, Marseille will travel to Valley Parade in his hometown of Bradford to face Sunderland in their penultimate game.
Greenwood made 129 appearances in total for United, scoring 35 goals, with his last game being a Premier League clash against West Ham on January 22, 2022.