Marseille are left “frustrated” by Mason Greenwood’s “lack of effort” and even “basic appreciation” in another worrying development regarding the former Manchester United forward. Greenwood, 24, signed a five-year deal and moved to Marseille in 2024 after United agreed to sell him for a fee of around £27 million.
Since moving to France, the England international has made impressive appearances, scoring 47 goals and providing 16 assists in 79 appearances. But it is his behavior off the pitch that is causing alarm, with L’Equipe reporting that Marseille are becoming increasingly frustrated with Greenwood’s lack of proper commitment and appreciation.
With English being spoken in the dressing room, Greenwood is said to have refused to take part in club-mandated French lessons and remains in his “own world”. Club officials are “tired” of explaining the problem to him and are even going so far as to fine him in an attempt to modify his approach.
There is now reportedly a rift across the club, with his relationship with sporting director Mehdi Benatia also breaking down, with the pair said to be “completely ignoring” each other on a daily basis. It is believed that Greenwood is waiting for the inevitable outcome before leaving, but it is not expected to happen “easily”.
Marseille had hoped to sell Greenwood for a profit in the future, but his performance in the second half of the season was inconsistent and his market value declined.
A return to the Premier League is widely thought to be out of the question for Greenwood, but Serie A and La Liga clubs are said to be keeping an eye on his movements.
Greenwood’s last goal came in a 1-0 win against Toulouse on 7 March, and he endured a tough time in his most recent game, a 3-0 thrashing of relegated Nantes. The player was on the bench in last month’s home match against Nice, sparking speculation that he had fallen out with manager Habib Bayet.
But Mr Bey dismissed such claims, insisting Greenwood was hobbled by minor injuries.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on Mason since the beginning of the week, but he’s been quite limited due to his injury at Lille,” Bay said. “It’s been two games where he’s played through a lot of pain. We can’t put him at risk.”
Marseille and Greenwood travel to Le Havre on Sunday for their next match, which will be a crucial match for the club as they aim to secure European football next season.
