With Manchester United under pressure to raise funds via player sales before the Ineos rebuild can really begin, the phrase ‘ music to the ears’ comes to mind.
One of so many players up for sale at the Red Devils has a bonafide powerhouse in European footbal courting him closely.
With no future at Manchester United, this is undoubtedly good news, a windfall in excess of £25 million heading to Old Trafford with personal terms agreed and one of the biggest problems facing Ineos solved so early in the window.
Gianluca di Marzio, certainly amongst the most reliable reporters around, writes on his official website that Mason Greenwood has agreed terms with Juventus. Further talks were held between the England international and the Serie A giants on Tuesday too.
Manchester United handed Mason Greenwood solution
For reasons we all know far too well, Greenwood will not be sticking around at Man United next season, despite rediscovering his finishing touch on loan at Getafe last term. Greenwood, a series of dazzling displays off the right hand side and one that even earned him the admiration of Antoine Griezmann, was named Getafe’s Player of the Year.
“Manchester (United) seems to want to sell him if there is a good offer,” Getafe president Angel Torres told Radio Marca, admitting that Barcelona had lodged an enquiry for a man also on the radars of Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid.
“The only one who asked me about the player was (Barcelona president) Joan Laporta. (Laporta) was here. I spoke with him and (Barca director) Deco and they asked me.”
Barring a late hi-jacking from the Camp Nou club, however, Greenwood will be a Juventus player in 2024/25.
Di Marzio adds that Juve expect to finalise a deal over the next few weeks. Manchester United are demanding £40 million, however, and there remains a sizeable £15 million gap between the fee the Red Devils want and the fee Juventus are prepared to pay, at least up front.
But if the Bianconeri are willing to include a series of bonuses and add-ons onto their £25 million investment, that could be enough to convince United to compromise. Di Marzio does explain, however, thta Juventus will first have to find buyers for Federico Chiesa or Matias Soule, though there is interest in both wingers from Serie A rivals AS Roma.
Juventus hope to seal deal within weeks
Greenwood, who has not played for Man United since being suspended by the club in January 2022, scored ten goals for Getafe as the Madrid-based outfit stayed clear of a La Liga relegation battle.
“(He is) too good for Getafe, with all the respect in the world. They’ve had the benefit of having a player they wouldn’t normally have,” explains Terry Gibson, the Spanish football expert and one-time United forward speaking on El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast.
“As a footballer, he’s been superb. He’s knuckled down, got on with the job. It’s not a glamorous posting to go and play for Getafe. You have to have a certain culture there, and he’s adhered to that. There hasn’t been one bad word said about him, he’s worked hard, good attitude and you can see the quality.
“I don’t think there would be a massive uproar if he went to Barcelona or Atletico Madrid now. I think now it’s been accepted in Spain that he’s playing out there.
“We knew that (he had the quality) anyway. He was all the makings of a genuine superstar.”