Man Utd included ‘contentious’ transfer clause in Greenwood deal as return is deemed unlikely

Manchester United reportedly included a ‘contentious’ clause in their deal with Ligue Un outfit Marseille to sell Mason Greenwood for around £26m.

Earlier this month, Man Utd sold Greenwood to Marseille for a fee in the region of £26m.

The Red Devils initially set their asking price at around £40m but accepted a lower fee as their deal with Marseille includes a significant sell-on clause of around 50%.

Greenwood‘s last appearance for Man Utd came at the start of 2022. In February 2023, the case against him was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service after he was facing charges relating to attempted rape and assault.

The CPS made this decision after the withdrawal of key witnesses significantly reduced his chances of being convicted.

After pulling the plug on his return ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Man Utd moved to find Greenwood a new home and he eventually joined La Liga outfit Getafe on loan.

Greenwood impressed for Getafe on the pitch as he contributed with eight goals and six assists in La Liga.

His form has attracted interest from clubs around Europe and Man Utd were always likely to cash in this summer as it would have been a PR disaster for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had he sanctioned the forward’s return.

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According to a report from The Telegraph, ‘clubs in Premier League and around Europe registered interest, but the player and his family were clear that Marseille was their preference’.

It is noted that a ‘buy-back clause’ has been included in the deal. This ‘could be perceived as somewhat contentious’, but they are keen to point out that his chances of making a return to Man Utd are ‘very low’.

‘There is also a buy-back option in the agreement with Marseille. These are fairly routine nowadays where the sale of academy graduates or young talents are concerned but, given Greenwood’s history, the decision to include a buy-back clause could be perceived as somewhat contentious.

‘Nonetheless, Telegraph Sport understands there is no expectation or intention of Greenwood coming back in the future and that, if the clause does signify the door remains ajar for the player down the line, it is very much the slimmest of cracks. The prospect of it being activated is considered very low.’

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Regarding Ratcliffe’s stance on Greenwood and his family’s insistence on him ‘continuing playing overseas’, the report explains.

‘When Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally acquired a minority stake in the club in February, the Ineos billionaire was clear that he and his team wanted to review the Greenwood case with a fresh set of eyes and an open mind and assess all the different factors and considerations at play before making a final decision on the player’s future.

‘By the end of the season, they had resolved that it made the most sense to stick with the original plan to sell Greenwood and that any moves to bring him back would be too contentious and cause too much of a distraction at a time when they were trying to usher in a new era at Old Trafford.

‘It should be stressed here that Greenwood’s own family had been strongly of the view that it was better for their son to move away from United and continue playing overseas. Greenwood had enjoyed life in Madrid with Getafe, free of harassment and away from the scrutiny that would have followed him had he remained in England. Members of United’s player support team had initially gone across to Spain with Greenwood but he settled quickly.’