Liverpool ‘willing to pay’ £69m as team-mates want ex-Man Utd star ‘removed from squad’
Former Man Utd striker Mason Greenwood is attracting interest from Liverpool amid claims his team-mates have asked him to be removed from the Marseille squad.
Greenwood spent last season on loan at Spanish side Getafe and signed a five-year contract with Marseille in the summer after Man Utd agreed to sell him for £26.6m.
He has started very well in France with Marseille second in the Ligue 1 table and the former Man Utd striker contributing 18 goals and three assists in 30 matches.
The 23-year-old was suspended by the Red Devils on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.
He faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February 2023 that the case had been discontinued.
Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had said in February last year that the club would take a decision on Greenwood’s future in the summer, and “justify it one way or the other”.
A short statement from the Red Devils confirmed the transfer to Marseille, which delivered on the club’s prior commitment that the one-cap England international would continue his career away from Old Trafford.
But Greenwood has been making headlines once again in France with Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi dropping him from the starting XI for two games in a row last month.
De Zerbi said at the time: “No one can have more respect for him than I do. But that doesn’t change anything: I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.
“If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined.”
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But his style of management didn’t pay off in their 3-0 loss to Monaco on April 12 with one local newspaper giving Greenwood a 1/10 rating after the match, which he started.
It was claimed in the aftermath of their defeat to Monaco that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Adrien Rabiot approached Marseille’s director of football, Medhi Benatia, to ask for Greenwood and Brazilian winger Luis Henrique to be removed from the squad.
Benatia quashed those reports, he said: “Can you imagine? He didn’t come to see me. And what’s more, do you think I need a player to tell me that?
“Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is one of the most professional in the locker room, a guy who only wants to unite and carry everyone along with him, like Rabiot.
“Today, Adri is dying inside, he only wants one thing: to reach the Champions League. These two are truly two examples, and at no point did they come to see me to dismiss Luis Henrique or Greenwood. The people who say that don’t want the best for OM.”
Marseille moved back above Monaco into second on Saturday with Greenwood scoring twice as they beat Montpellier 5-1 at the Stade Velodrome.
And now Spanish website Fichajes insist that Liverpool ‘wants to close’ a ‘bombshell’ deal to sign Greenwood in the summer transfer window.
The report adds:
‘Mason Greenwood could become one of the big names in the upcoming summer transfer window. Liverpool has set its sights on the English striker, currently with Olympique Marseille, and is willing to launch a multi-million-dollar offensive to make him the new leader of its long-term project.’
Fichajes continues:
‘Marseille signed him last summer for €26 million, a fee that has now fallen short. At Anfield, they are convinced that Greenwood can fit perfectly into their attacking style, with speed, technique, and finishing ability. According to various sources, Liverpool would be willing to pay between €75 and €80 million to secure his services, a deal that would make him one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history.
‘Greenwood’s arrival would be a firm commitment to revitalizing the Reds’ attack and building a new era around him. His age, 23, and his hunger to reclaim his title make him a priority target for the Merseysiders, who are already working to convince the player and Marseille ahead of next summer.’
