Marseille boss makes Mason Greenwood claim that will send shock waves through football

Former Manchester United talent Mason Greenwood is thriving at Olympique de Marseille. Due to question marks over his off-field conduct, United pushed their academy product away from their first-team plans in 2022. Steadily, Greenwood rediscovered his fitness and form at Getafe in La Liga before earning a £26.6m move to Marseille last year.  Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi received a lot of backlash for placing his trust in Greenwood. De Zerbi has high hopes for Greenwood In the south of France, Mason Greenwood has established himself as De Zerbi’s most prolific attacker. His two-footedness and ferocious ball-striking have made him a nightmare to defend against. Greenwood finished last campaign as joint-top scorer in Ligue 1. This term, he boasts 13 goals and four assists in 20 appearances across all competitions.  Mason Greenwood career stats ClubAppearancesGoalsAssists Years active Manchester United12935122019-2022 Getafe361062023-2024 Marseille5635102024-present The Englishman still divides opinion, especially in his homeland. However, De Zerbi believes his talisman has the potential to win the most prestigious individual award, the Ballon d’Or. “I see him every day, he has a huge potential,” the Italian coach said on Friday in a news conference. “I don’t see any other players in Europe at the same level. He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. It will be up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not. “At the level of the qualities that nature has given him, that his parents have given him, I think he is worthy of the Ballon d’Or.” Man United to benefit from Greenwood’s progress When United signed Anthony Martial in 2015, AS Monaco inserted a Ballon d’Or clause into his contract. The Red Devils are not believed to have such a clause in their favour for Greenwood. As such, his individual achievements would not benefit his boyhood club directly.  However, United added a significant sell-on clause, thought to be around 50 per cent, into their agreement with Marseille. Accordingly, they could land a huge windfall from the 24-year-old’s next transfer.  Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming Saudi Arabian outfit Neom Sports Club are considering signing the Marseille star in a deal worth around €100m. Featured image Juan Manuel Serrano Arce via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!