It’s a signing that’s generating a lot of criticism.
French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille announced on its official website on Sept. 19 that it has completed the acquisition of Mason Greenwood from Manchester United. While the specific transfer fee was not disclosed, local reports suggest that Marseille paid £26.6 million (approximately $47.6 billion) for Greenwood. In addition, a 50% sell-on clause was inserted, meaning that United will pay half of the transfer fee if Greenwood leaves the club in the future.
Marseille were delighted with the signing of Greenwood, who they had been targeting all summer. Marseille had previously parted ways with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had a decent season last year, to overhaul their attacking lineup, and Greenwood was the first signing of that overhaul.
However, the club were not the only ones happy with the signing of Greenwood. When the deal was finalized, Marseille fans were furious. “Disgusting, dirty, it’s a disgrace for the club to sign a player like this,” they wrote on social media.
The reason Greenwood’s signing has gotten such a positive response is because of his past. Greenwood was once touted as the next great striker for United and England’s future. His quick and powerful shot was his greatest strength.
But in January 2022, an unexpected twist occurred: his girlfriend, Harriet Robson, uploaded a video to social media showing Greenwood assaulting her. In the video, Greenwood is verbally abusing Robson and forcing her to have sex with him.
The local police in Manchester promptly arrested Greenwood on charges of sexual assault and battery. Greenwood’s entire career came to a standstill, and he was forced to deal with the police investigation. It was a time of great growth for Greenwood, but this personal controversy set him back.
Then, last summer, Greenwood was finally acquitted. He immediately prepared to return to the field. Unsurprisingly, it was United. The Red Devils were keen to welcome Greenwood back.
However, Greenwood’s return was blocked by local public opinion, with local women’s rights organizations protesting against his 사설 토토사이트 return. As a result, Greenwood was never able to wear a United shirt again and was loaned out to Spanish La Liga side Getafe.
At the time of his loan, few expected Greenwood to perform well. He didn’t get much game time at a crucial time, and it looked like he might be out of practice. However, Greenwood totaled 10 goals and six assists last season. He proved that his talent was still there. After the season, Greenwood was named Getafe’s Player of the Year, and big clubs like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Juventus were eager to sign him.
Greenwood’s final destination was Marseille. However, Greenwood was viewed negatively by Marseille fans due to a controversy in his personal life. Shortly before his signing, the mayor of Marseille opposed the move, but the club went ahead with the signing.
Marseille coach Roberto De Zervi spoke out shortly after Greenwood’s signing was finalized, saying, “Everything you heard about the boy is in the past. We want to make Greenwood world-class and build a new team around him.” It was a positive response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Greenwood.
Marseille, meanwhile, are targeting Hwang Hee-chan after Greenwood. On May 5, French media outlet L’Equipe reported, “Marseille have put Hwang Hee-chan on their shortlist for a striker. Coach De Gervais has approved the move.”
Wolverhampton rejected Marseille’s offer and stuck to their stance of keeping their ace. Then, out of nowhere, news broke that Hwang wanted to move to Marseille. On the 16th, French media outlet Foot Mercato reported that “Hwang Hee-chan has informed Wolverhampton that he wants to move to Marseille.”
However, Wolverhampton manager Gary O’Neill stepped in. On the 18th, British media outlet TalkSPORT reported that “O’Neill said that he will not sell Hwang at any price.” As a result, Marseille’s pursuit of Hwang will not be easy.