Greenwood to Arsenal, Barca or Juve? January’s craziest rumour so far

Robin Bairner

• 17 Dec 2021 10:34 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been linked with a stunning January transfer away from the club, with Arsenal, Barcelona and Juventus the names cited carrying an interest.

Greenwood, it is said, has grown frustrated at Man Utd owing to a dramatic loss of minutes cause by the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Indeed, he started the season explosively, scoring in each of his first three Premier League matches as he was given maximum playing time. Since Ronaldo joined the club, he has scored only one goal in 13 subsequent games, managing the full 90 on just two occasions.

Nevertheless, the prospects of the 20-year-old departing Old Trafford in January are virtually nil.

Trending

Which football managers have been sacked this season?

Premier League managers: Full list of current bosses

Who won Ballon d’Or 2024? Final ranking and past winners

Greenwood is going nowhere

This left-field rumour emanated from Spanish publication El Nacional and was given further traction by the Daily Mirror.

Even if Greenwood is unhappy at Man Utd – and there is little to suggest that is the case – the prospects of him going to any of the clubs mentioned in the dispatch are slim.

Barcelona, for example, cannot even afford to stump up more than €45 million for Manchester City attacker Ferran Torres, a youngster considered to be Xavi’s absolute No.1 priority in the January transfer window.

Man Utd would surely look for at least the €77m that FootballTransfers’ algorithm suggests he is worth if they were to move him on, putting the England star way outside the bracket for possible additions.

Similarly, Juventus are in financial strife currently. The Italians are still reeling from a year of record-breaking wages that produced precious little return on the field.

Perhaps a loan deal could be possible to either of these clubs, but given Greenwood’s versatility and quality, it would be a major surprise if Man Utd were happy to let him depart.

Meanwhile, Arsenal may have the financial muscle to attract the forward. They also have some need given Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s recent indiscretions, but would the Red Devils let him go to a direct rival for the final Champions League spot? Surely not.

Indeed, there are unlikely to be many crazier rumours this January than Greenwood’s link to Arsenal, Barca or Juve.