Manchester United is about to get a nice little bonus from a player they cut loose two years ago. Mason Greenwood, the forward whose legal troubles forced the club to sell him in 2024, is now very close to leaving Marseille for Fenerbahce. And thanks to a sell-on clause in that original deal, United stands to pocket some real cash.
The move to Fenerbahce is reportedly valued at around €40 million, which is about £34 million. Fabrizio Romano has been tracking this one closely and says the deal is at an advanced stage. Greenwood’s camp has already agreed to personal terms through 2030. The Turkish club sent an official bid to Marseille, and while there’s still some back-and-forth on the final structure, it’s trending toward a done deal.
Here’s where it gets interesting for United. The original transfer from United to Marseille in 2024 included a 50% sell-on clause on any profit from a future sale. Romano reports the Red Devils will get somewhere between €6-7 million, just under €10 million. Call it about $8.5 million in real money. That’s a nice chunk of change for a player who wasn’t going to play for them again.
Greenwood’s Numbers Were Good. Everything Else Wasn’t.
On the field, Greenwood was legit. 48 goals and 17 assists in 81 appearances for Marseille. That’s a goal involvement every 1.2 games. Solid for any forward, especially one coming off two years of not playing.
But off the field, it was messy. There were reports of clashes with Marseille’s coaching staff and front office. The fan backlash that started when he signed never really went away. Liverpool supporters loudly booed him during a Champions League match back in January. The whole situation made Marseille willing to listen to offers this summer, as long as someone hit their asking price.
Atletico Madrid kicked the tires but decided not to go deeper. Roma reportedly never actually made a bid, even though Greenwood was on their radar. So it’s Fenerbahce making the real push.
What United Does With the Money
This cash injection comes at a good time. United has already agreed to a £39 million deal for Atalanta’s Ederson and spent £50 million on Andrey Santos from Chelsea. Both moves are pending medicals. But the real priority is a marquee midfielder to replace Casemiro.
Aurelien Tchouameni is still the dream target, but Real Madrid is not going to let him go cheap. That’s why an extra $8.5 million from Greenwood’s transfer matters. It’s not going to fund the whole deal, but it gives INEOS a little more room to work with.
Greenwood joined Marseille in 2024 after United had to move on following his legal issues, even though the charges against him were dropped. The 24-year-old from Bradford signed a five-year deal worth £26.6 million. Now it looks like he’s heading to Turkey. And United gets a cut.
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