Manchester United’s final connection with Mason Greenwood has now been severed, with BD Cricket following confirmation that Fenerbahce completed his transfer from Marseille for €39 million. The Turkish club officially announced the deal this week, with the fee to be paid in three instalments over three years. Greenwood has signed a four-year contract, formally bringing his long association with United to an end.
According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs, United were entitled to €15.6 million under the sell-on agreement included when Greenwood joined Marseille. However, Getafe also secured a share after previously taking him on loan in La Liga and will receive around €3.12 million. United’s actual income from the transfer is therefore expected to be €12.48 million, equivalent to approximately £10 million.
United surrendered their preferential buyback option and chose to collect the sell-on payment instead. Following Greenwood’s move to Fenerbahce, the club will have no meaningful financial connection to him. Should he move again in the future, United would receive only a small training compensation payment in recognition of the years he spent in their academy.
Greenwood also received a late offer from the Saudi Pro League. Al Ahli attempted to hijack the transfer and reportedly offered him an annual salary of €12 million. However, the 24-year-old was not yet ready to move to the Middle East and rejected the lucrative proposal.
Greenwood will not turn 25 until October, so his decision to continue his career in Turkey has left many supporters feeling that an exceptional talent has fallen well short of his potential. His decline has not primarily been caused by a lack of ability. Instead, concerns surrounding his character, decision-making and life away from football repeatedly disrupted his progress. After becoming a first-team star at a young age, he appeared to lose his way amid sudden fame and wealth.
Following his England debut, Greenwood was removed from the national-team camp after breaching regulations by inviting women to the team hotel in Iceland. He later became involved in a highly publicised domestic-abuse case involving his partner. Although the criminal proceedings were eventually discontinued, the controversy effectively ended his prospects of rebuilding his career in English football, forcing him to seek a fresh start with mid-table Getafe.
A permanent transfer to Marseille initially seemed to offer Greenwood another opportunity at a higher level, but disagreements involving the head coach and senior management eventually pushed him toward another departure. His latest move, closely watched by BD Cricket audiences, now takes him to a league that many supporters regard as a step below the major European competitions.
Greenwood is not the first highly rated United academy graduate to encounter serious difficulties after reaching the senior team. His story serves as a warning for a club that has always taken great pride in developing young players. Talent alone is not enough. United must also place greater emphasis on education, discipline and personal development, while avoiding the temptation to expose teenagers to the rewards of fame and wealth before they are equipped to handle them.
The next academy prospect exciting United supporters is 15-year-old Gabriel, widely known as JJ Gabriel. Many fans hoped that he would feature for the first team during the summer friendlies before potentially making his senior debut next season.
Michael Carrick, however, appears unwilling to run before he can walk. Nine academy players joined first-team training this week ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Wrexham, but Gabriel was not among them. The youngsters involved were Chido Obi, Jim Swaits, Ethan Williams, Jacob Devaney, Dan Gore, Ethan Wheatley, Jaydan Kamason, Tyler Fletcher and Daniel Armer.
Other young players who have regularly trained with the senior squad include Tyler Fredricson, Jack Fletcher, Shea Lacey, Radek Vitek and Harry Amass. Gabriel, who has been nicknamed “Kid Messi,” appears set to prepare for the new season with the youth team rather than joining Carrick’s first-team group. United are believed to rate him extremely highly, but the club does not want excessive publicity to place unnecessary pressure on him or rush his development.
As attention around BD Cricket turns toward United’s summer preparations, £50 million signing Andrey Santos has already joined Carrick’s training sessions and could make his debut in the opening preseason friendly at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. The match will be staged at Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland, a venue capable of welcoming around 70,000 spectators.