Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood is under fire in France.
The criticism follows a 3-0 loss to Nantes, where Greenwood failed to make an impact.
Dugarry’s scathing assessment of Greenwood
Former French striker Christophe Dugarry has heavily criticised Mason Greenwood’s demeanour. He pointed out that Marseille took a chance on Greenwood when few other clubs would.
Dugarry said: “He might never have played again… But Marseille took the risk of signing him, they welcomed him with open arms. And he mocks you? It’s a disgrace! Get out! He should be condemned, burned at the stake without a lawyer.”
French journalist Quentil Mengual added: “Greenwood’s attitude disgusts me. I don’t wish him to ever return to a big club. He shows such a lack of respect for the club that if he leaves for free tomorrow, I couldn’t care less.”
Impact of Marseille’s managerial situation
Pierre Menes suggested that Greenwood’s performance reflects a lack of faith in Marseille head coach Habib Beye and director of football Mehdi Benatia.
He said: “I think there are many players, Greenwood among them, who can no longer stand Benatia. I think there are many players who came because of De Zerbi and who don’t understand what Beye is doing there and feel he lacks legitimacy.”
Manchester United’s Sell-On Clause
Two summers ago, Manchester United sold Mason Greenwood to Marseille on a permanent deal.
Manchester United included a huge sell-on clause in the transfer agreement with Marseille. United currently stand to benefit from 40 per cent of the fee if Greenwood is sold. This would have reduced to 35 per cent if Marseille had qualified for the Champions League this season.
Unfortunately, Greenwood’s poor end to the season could end up being costly for United, dimming interest in the forward.
- Greenwood has scored 47 goals in 79 matches for Marseille.
- He has failed to score in the last six matches.
Marseille’s struggles in Ligue 1
Marseille are currently in seventh place in Ligue 1. They are currently on track to fail to even qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Last season they played in the Champions League, but were eliminated in the group stages, a factor behind Roberto De Zerbi’s exit. Roberto De Zerbi was no stranger to Manchester United links.
Paris FC have been linked to Greenwood recently. But a deal is unlikely to be the kind of high fee the club were hoping for.
United accepted a lower fee for Greenwood initially with the hope that a large sell-on would come later on. But there are clearly no guarantees.
On the other hand, whatever United do get for Greenwood at this point is just an added bonus.
Greenwood last played for United in 2021, before being arrested. Charges against Greenwood were later dropped by the CPS.
After some mixed messaging, United eventually decided in 2023 that Greenwood would never play for the club again. He was then loaned to Getafe, and sold to Marseille a year later.