Mason Greenwood joins Marseille from Man United for £30m as French club confirm signing… with forward, 22, finally securing a permanent move away from Old Trafford

Mason Greenwood has completed his £30million transfer from Manchester United to Marseille.

Greenwood, 22, will join former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi after signing a contract with the French club in a deal worth £27m plus £3.2m in add-ons.

The England international has not played for Man United since January 2022 and spent last season on loan at Getafe, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists on his way to being named the club’s player of the season.

Greenwood was arrested that month and later charged in October 2022 with attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behavior, but the charges and the case were dropped in February 2023 when key witnesses recanted. Greenwood has denied any wrongdoing.

His potential move to France sparked outrage among Marseille fans, who launched the #GreenwoodNotWelcome campaign when he was first linked with the club.

Greenwood received a warm welcome from fans as he arrived for his medical.

But some supporters took to social media to ask the French club not to ‘betray its values’ by signing Greenwood

Marseille mayor Benoit Payan also opposed the move and said he would lobby club president Pablo Longoria to call off the deal.

However, Greenwood received a warm welcome from fans when he arrived for his medical on Wednesday, with fans greeting the forward with torches and chanting his name as he waved at them at the airport.

His former club confirmed the news on Thursday, sharing a short statement wishing the former youth player “all the best in his future career.”

Joey Barton is among those who supported the move. ‘That’s a great signing. This kid deserves a chance to continue his career,’ Barton, who spent a season on loan at Marseille in the 2012-2013 season, wrote on X.

‘We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. England would have won the Euros with this boy in the team.

‘He is as good a player as any in that Euros squad. His behaviour and the public aftermath affected his performances enormously, but he went to an average team in Spain and got back on track!

‘I hope that Mason and his family find peace and prosperity in the south of France. That they can continue their young lives. And hopefully he gets the chance to make amends for his mistakes.

Greenwood’s attempted rape and assault charges were dropped last year

Greenwood returned to Carrington on Monday to speak to United bosses about his departure, having not played for the Red Devils since January 2022, when the allegations emerged.

The charges against him were dropped by the Public Prosecution Service after key witnesses withdrew, but the club continued its own internal investigation into a series of shocking images and audio recordings.

In August 2023, it was announced that he would leave by mutual consent, after it was decided that Greenwood would continue his career outside of United.

This came despite the fact that the club had initially decided to reinstate Greenwood, but after significant negative reaction the club decided to change their mind.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe also left the door open for a return for Greenwood after taking a 25 percent stake in the club in December last year.

“It’s a new decision,” he said, despite the club previously ruling out a return.

“I can talk about the principle. I’m not going to talk about Mason. I’m familiar with it. The principle is the most important thing. We’ll have other problems in the future.

The striker has not played for Manchester United since 2022, when the allegations emerged, and spent last season on loan at Getafe in Spain.

‘You are dealing with young people who have not always grown up in the best circumstances, who have a lot of money and do not always receive the guidance they should receive.

“What we need to do when we have these kinds of problems is to understand the real effects, not the hype. Then we need to make an honest decision in light of the values ​​of the club. That’s what we need to do and that’s how we deal with it.”

The sale of Greenwood, who made 129 appearances for United, will give the club a significant boost this summer as the transfer fee can be considered pure profit as he came through the youth system.

United are set to sign highly-rated defender Leny Yoro from Lille for £52million, while Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee will join from Bologna for a fee of £36.5million.