Roberto De Zerbi reveals warning he sent Mason Greenwood and says Man Utd outcast was the 'first player' he called to sign for Marseille

After impressing on loan at Getafe last season – winning their Player of the Year award – one-cap England international Greenwood was always expected to be on the move this summer. Manchester United opened themselves up to offers for a player that no longer figured in their long-term plans.

The 22-year-old forward was linked with clubs across Europe, but has taken on a new challenge in France. Former Brighton boss De Zerbi pushed for that deal to be done, telling L’Equipe of how he helped to get a transfer completed: “Greenwood is the first player I called. I spoke with his father, who must be the same age as me. I warned him about the demands of this club, telling him: 'OM is OM.' He replied: 'I remember the historic OM, which played in European Cup finals'.”

There were protests against Greenwood’s arrival from some Marseille supporters, but De Zerbi said of welcoming a divisive character to Stade Velodrome: “I said that when a player becomes my player, I am the first to pin him to the wall if he makes a mistake. But towards the outside, I will always defend him as I would defend my son.”

Greenwood has made an early impact at Marseille, with two goals recorded during pre-season outings. Having found his feet during friendly appearances, the highly-rated winger is now ready for a 2024-25 Ligue 1 opener away at Brest on Saturday.