Marseille’s sporting director Medhi Benatia reportedly sought to offload Mason Greenwood before the former Manchester United forward established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most prolific strikers.According to French publication La Provence, the 38-year-old official harboured serious reservations about the Englishman’s commitment and effort levels.
Benatia’s concerns centred particularly on Greenwood’s reluctance to contribute defensively.The reports suggest tensions ran sufficiently deep that the 24-year-old actively avoided encounters with the sporting director at the club’s training facilities.
Mason Greenwood has been in scintillating form at Marseille this season | REUTERS
These doubts emerged prior to Greenwood finishing as joint top-scorer in the French top flight last season, sharing the honour with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele on 21 goals.Former manager Roberto De Zerbi shared these misgivings about the English striker.
The Italian tactician removed Greenwood from his starting eleven for crucial fixtures against Lens and PSG last March.De Zerbi made clear his dissatisfaction at the time: “I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.”The ex-Brighton boss demanded greater application from his forward.
Mason Greenwood left United in 2024 for Marseille on a permanent deal | REUTERS
“If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined,” De Zerbi stated.Such pointed criticism underscored the depth of concern surrounding Greenwood’s professionalism during that period.De Zerbi subsequently offered a more sympathetic assessment of the situation.
“Greenwood is a very good person whom I love, as I love his father. He’s had a bit of a tough time lately because he had a daughter who was born, and I don’t think he’s used to playing such an intense season and being a main player. I think he paid for it physically,” the Italian explained.The manager acknowledged the striker’s conditioning had suffered, noting Greenwood had failed to meet expectations in training.De Zerbi, who has since been replaced by Habib Beye, emphasised his broader ambitions for Marseille extended beyond mere Champions League qualification, aspiring to build something comparable to Luis Enrique’s project at PSG.Greenwood has since silenced his critics in emphatic fashion.
Former Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi had described Mason Greenwood as ‘like a son’ | GETTY
The 24-year-old has netted 25 times across 37 matches in all competitions this campaign, establishing himself as an indispensable figure for the Ligue 1 side.His remarkable form has attracted attention from Europe’s elite clubs.Barcelona, Napoli and Atletico Madrid have all reportedly expressed interest in securing the Englishman’s services.Manchester United parted ways with their academy product for £26.6 million, though the Red Devils retained a substantial sell-on clause within the transfer agreement.
Should any of these suitors meet Marseille’s valuation, Old Trafford stands to benefit handsomely from their former striker’s resurgence.