Mason Greenwood branded a ‘mercenary’ for Man Utd exit

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 15 Oct 2024 11:51 BST
• 3 min read

Former Man Utd attacker Mason Greenwood has been branded a 'mercenary' by Lazio president Claudio Lotito.

Greenwood left Man Utd for Marseille this summer, as the French side paid €26 million, with an additional €5m in add-ons and a sizeable sell-on clause.

But before making the move to Marseille, he had been in talks to join Lazio.

Lazio president Lotito has hit out at Greenwood's decision to reject Lazio, saying he turned them down for financial reasons.

What did Lotito say?

"He is absolutely not a regret. Someone who does not accept coming to Lazio cannot be a regret," Lotito explained.

"He is happy at Marseille; he made a choice, and that is fine. We do not accept mercenaries; we only want those who choose Lazio. We have had enough mercenaries."

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Greenwood has made an excellent start to his Marseille career under manager Roberto De Zerbi. He has scored five goals in his first seven matches in Ligue 1.

Why did Man Utd sell Greenwood?

Greenwood, who signed a five year deal at Marseille, was put up for sale by Man Utd after it became clear it was impossible for him to continue his career at Old Trafford.

Greenwood hadn’t played for Man Utd since he was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of rape and assault.

The Englishman’s charges were dropped after key witnesses pulled out last year and he returned to football with a loan spell at Spanish side Getafe in the 2023-24 season.

He scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club as they finished 12th in the LaLiga table.

Lazio, Juventus, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund had all been linked with signing Greenwood, but it was Marseille who completed the deal.

Greenwood scored 35 goals in 129 games for Man Utd and was expected to become a key player for club and country until his off-field problems.