A player Manchester United let go in the months before Ruben Amorim’s arrival has what it takes to win the Ballon d’Or, according to his manager.
Manchester United “struggled” with the decision, but in the end, they decided that the best thing to do was to move on from Mason Greenwood in the 2024 summer transfer window. Greenwood’s sale was among the first transfers completed since INEOS took control of all sporting affairs at Old Trafford.
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The public prosecutor’s office had dropped all charges against the attacker, citing the withdrawal of key witnesses and new evidence that came to light. Still, Greenwood’s reputation in England will forever be tarnished, and Manchester United chose to part ways with one of the most talented players their academy has produced in years.
After rebuilding his career during a fruitful loan in Spain with Getafe, Greenwood was sold to French giants Marseille for approximately £26.7 million.
The left-footer was an instant success in France, finishing remarkably equal to Ousmane Dembélé as the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 21 goals. That was despite the fact that Dembélé played for PSG, who usually dominated the division.
Dembélé would later win the Ballon d’Or, where his performances in the Champions League and the fact that PSG won a quadruple greatly helped his cause. Greenwood didn’t have those advantages at Marseille.
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Greenwood is in glowing form again this season with 13 goals and four assists in 20 appearances. He scored a double goal in the Champions League against Belgian side USG on Tuesday to give Marseille a great chance of qualifying for the next phase.
And according to his manager at Marseille, Roberto De Zerbi, none of us should be surprised if Greenwood wins the Ballon d’Or in the near future.
“I see him every day, his potential is huge, I don’t see any other player in Europe at the same level,” De Zerbi said at a press conference on Friday.
“He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. It’s up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not.”
“He has the qualities that deserve the Ballon d’Or. I want him to be more consistent. I know he needs to press with more intensity, he needs to handle the ball better when the team is in trouble, not lose the ball easily, but keep it to allow the team to move up.”
“Look at his second goal (against Union St. Gilloise on Tuesday) à la [Didier] Drogba. I turn around and say to myself: Putain!”
Can Mason Greenwood return to England?
Manchester United’s reasons for getting rid of Greenwood were completely understandable, although there are some in their fan base who would love to see him return.
Our insider, Dean Jones, reported on Friday that the view within the industry is that a return for Greenwood to play professionally in England is NOT possible at the moment.
Whether attitudes become milder as the years go by, only time will tell. But at least for now, there is no interest from top English clubs in taking a chance on Greenwood, given the baggage he would carry and the inevitable opposition from fans and sponsors that would follow.
Instead, if Greenwood is to move on from Marseille, we understand that a move back to LaLiga, either to Atlético Madrid or Barcelona, is a far more likely outcome.
That scenario would benefit Manchester United, which included a significant resale clause in Greenwood’s deal when he was sold to Marseille.
