Olympique Marseille reportedly tried to sell Mason Greenwood (25) last summer. Although his performance on the field was outstanding, concerns were reportedly raised internally about his attitude and training demeanor.
The British Daily Mail, citing French outlet La Provence on the 12th (Korean time), reported, "Marseille's Medi Benatia Director General considered ways to remove Greenwood from the team last summer."
Greenwood finished last season as joint top scorer in France's Ligue 1 alongside Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé. The two players each scored 21 goals. He also stood out for scoring six goals in the final eight matches of the season, leading Marseille into the Champions League.
Despite these performances, there were differing views within the club. According to the report, Benatia, the Director General, was dissatisfied with Greenwood's defensive involvement and level of commitment. There were concerns about his training attitude and contribution to the team, and claims emerged that Greenwood was even seen avoiding the Director General within the club.
Roberto De Zerbi, who was leading Marseille at the time, also expressed a similar awareness of the problem. In March last year, he sat Greenwood on the bench in matches against Lens and Paris Saint-Germain.
De Zerbi said at the time, "I expect more from him. What he is showing now is not enough," and added, "If you want to be a champion, you must be more consistent and show more sacrifice and determination."
He later said, "Greenwood is a very good person and I like his father," while explaining, "He recently had a daughter and went through a difficult time, and he may not have been accustomed to playing as a regular through such an intense season."
He added, "He did not push himself in training to the level I expect. His physical condition also looked a bit lacking."
Greenwood's signing by Marseille itself sparked major controversy at the time. Marseille signed him from Manchester United in the summer of 2024 for about 30 million pounds (about 59.6 billion won).
Once considered Manchester United's future, Greenwood's career was interrupted when he was arrested in January 2022 on charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control. The British prosecutor later dropped the charges citing the withdrawal of key witness statements and new evidence. He has denied the allegations.
After spending a season on loan at Spanish club Getafe instead of returning to Manchester United, he later moved to Marseille on a permanent transfer.
There were reported conflicts within Marseille during the recruitment process. According to the report, Cecilia Barottini, who oversaw club administration, opposed the signings of Greenwood and Youcef Atal. Atal was previously given an eight-month suspended sentence by a French court for sharing an anti-Semitic video in 2024.
During this process, an intense clash reportedly occurred between Benatia, the Director General, and Barottini, and it was claimed that Barottini even reported the incident to the police. She left the club in December 2024.
Following De Zerbi's recent departure from the team, Benatia, the Director General, also announced he plans to step down after the season ends.
Despite the controversies, Greenwood currently serves as the team's key striker. He has led Marseille's attack this season with 25 goals in 37 matches.
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