Manchester United retain the option to increase the percentage of their sell-on clause for Mason Greenwood amid the forward’s excellent campaign for Marseille.
Fine Form in France
Greenwood joined the Ligue 1 side in a deal worth up to £26.6 million over the summer. The move included a 50% sell-on clause which would see the Red Devils “recoup half of the profit the French club make from any sale”, according to a report by TEAMtalk.
This means if Greenwood was sold in this summer, which feels increasingly likely given his impressive form for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, the 23-year-old’s transfer would generate a significant financial boost to United ahead of an important summer window at Old Trafford.
Marseille are believed to value their forward around the £58 million mark. This fee would generate a profit of around £35.5 million for the French club, translating to a £17.75 million windfall for Greenwood’s former employers.
And given Greenwood’s status as an academy player for United, this money would constitute ‘pure profit’ from a financial fair play perspective.
However, the report reveals, the sell-on clause is “flexible”, meaning Old Trafford executives have the “ability to buy further sell-on percentages, with the option triggered by both performance-related criteria and time.”
“As Greenwood’s contract goes along, Man Utd have windows of opportunities where they can buy a greater sell-on percentage stake, and in doing so, effectively refund Marseille a portion of the purchase price in order to take the sell-on percent higher than 50%.
“Sources say that Greenwood’s sell-on clause could increase to over 60%, although as things stand it’s still 50% and whether that changes before the summer remains to be seen.”
This means Greenwood’s potential sale this summer could net United a smaller fee than one next season, or even the season after that. And this is reinforced by the fact the 23-year-old’s transfer value is only likely to increase the longer he remains at the Orange Vélodrome, given he is Ligue 1’s second highest scorer this season with 14 goals.
Greenwood will undoubtedly improve under De Zerbi the longer the forward plays under the Italian manager, who is renowned for his ability to work with attacking players. Similarly, it’s only his first season in France; an improvement in his second as he further acclimates is natural.
The Push to Sell Now
Conversely, INEOS will also be keen to buttress their war chest this summer by any means possible. The prospect of exerting pressure on Marseille to accept a deal now, with the threat of increasing their percentage from Greenwood’s sale in the future, could appeal to United’s executive branch.
Therefore, the Red Devils will be keeping a close eye on their former player’s movements this summer.
While the club are desperate for cash injections to fund a much-needed overhaul of Ruben Amorim’s squad, the prospect of a delay to any transfer for Greenwood may improve the financial situation at Old Trafford more in the long-run than a move this year.
However, the team desperately needs new signings as soon as possible or Amorim may not survive long enough to see this financial increase produced from the 23-year-old’s sale.
Feature image Miguel Medina via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
