Mason Greenwood finds himself in the middle of a storm in Marseille, where it is claimed that Adrien Rabiot and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg refuse to play with him.
The striker is the club’s top scorer this season, but his attitude has been under heavy criticism in recent weeks. Now it has culminated in claims that two of the team’s most experienced players do not want anything to do with him.
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The rumours have become so strong that sporting director Mehdi Benatia has had to go out in the local media La Provence to dismiss them. This comes as Marseille are going through a catastrophic drop in form – with five defeats in their last seven games – threatening their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
What does Benatia say?
Benatia stated to La Provence:
The allegations came after Greenwood received a 1/10 rating for his efforts against Monaco in the previous match. The newspaper wrote:
Benatia, a former Bayern Munich and Juventus player, referred in particular to rumours that Hojbjerg – one of Marseille’s best players this season – has asked him to drop Luis Henrique (who is linked with Arsenal) and Greenwood from the team.
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Benatia’s answer:
What does this mean for Greenwood – and Man Utd?
- Greenwood was sold to Marseille for €26 million in the summer of 2023 following his legal troubles and ostracism from the club.
- Manchester United included a rollover clause in the sale, but big transfer fees look unlikely now.
- It is rumored that the Saudi Arabian professional league could make a bid of €90 million, but the interest is unclear.
Players support De Zerbi
Benatia also dismissed allegations of division in the dressing room due to dissatisfaction with manager Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics:
Marseille face Montpellier (last in Ligue 1) at home Orange Vélodrome on Saturday in a match that could be crucial to their Champions League dreams.
