Mason Greenwood is ‘pining for a return’ to the Premier League as at least two sides ‘weigh up’ a summer move for the former Manchester United star.
Greenwood enjoyed an excellent start to life at Marseille but came under scrutiny in March/April amid a shocking run for the Ligue 1 side which saw them lose four games in five to put Champions League qualification in doubt.
Roberto De Zerbi dropped the forward from the starting lineup for two games on the bounce, claiming he needed to “sacrifice” more.
De Zerbi said: “No one can have more respect for him than I do. But that doesn’t change anything: I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.
“If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined.”
Marseille director of football Mehdi Benatia then had to step in to dismiss rumours that former Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has asked that Greenwood be ‘removed from the squad’ while the fans unfurled a banner telling the former United star to ‘get a move on’.
But both Greenwood and Marseille have returned to form at the right time, with three goals and an assist from the 23-year-old helping the Ligue 1 side to three wins and a draw in their last four games.
Only Ousmane Dembele (21) has scored more than Greenwood’s 19 Ligue 1 goals this season and that sort of form has inevitably caught the eye of top European suitors.
Barcelona were thought to be keen but their interest has died down in recent weeks, while there have also been reports of Liverpool making a shock move for the forward.
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And according to the Telegraph, ‘several close to the club situation accept that a transfer within the next two windows is “possible”’.
And it’s claimed ‘those who know Greenwood best now speculate a growing interest from Premier League clubs’ as he is now said to be ‘pining for a return to his native north of England’.
The report states that ‘at least two Premier League teams may be weighing up an approach’ for Greenwood, who joined Marseille for £26m from United last summer.
The Red Devils will keeping a key eye on developments as they hold a 50 per cent sell-on clause, though it’s not clear how much the French side would want for their star forward if he was to push for the exit.
The report reveals the ‘huge roadblocks’ that could stop his return to the Premier League.
‘Huge roadblocks still stand in the way of such a homecoming, with campaigners insisting there can be no redemption following the rape charges that were made against him, and subsequently abandoned by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2023.
‘There is also a difference of opinion among friends of Greenwood over whether he feels ready. When he first escaped the surrounding storm with a loan spell at Getafe, he privately ruled out taking a step down in English football when leaving United.’
