Manchester United don't intend to sanction a Mason Greenwood return in the future despite including a buy-back option in his Marseille contract, according to reports. Greenwood has completed a permanent exit, joining the Ligue 1 club in a £27million deal, but the door has been left ajar for an Old Trafford return.
The 22-year-old forward's future had been one of the major talking points at the start of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's co-ownership after his successful loan spell at Getafe last season.
He scored 10 goals in 36 appearances in Spain following an 18-month hiatus due to his January 2022 arrest and subsequent United suspension.
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Greenwood was later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, all of which he denied.
In February 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all the charges because "a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."
United conducted an internal six-month review before mutually deciding his career would be best served resuming away from England.
His performances for Getafe attracted heavyweight interest across Europe, most strongly from Marseille and Lazio, and he opted for the former.
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According to the Telegraph, United have received a fixed £19.9m fee for Greenwood - 20 per cent of which has gone to Getafe - and are in line for a further £6.7m in add-ons.
It's claimed that half of the bonuses will be guaranteed if Greenwood stays at Marseille for three years, while the rest are performance-related.
The report adds that United included a buy-back option, which tends to be standard practice with the sales of academy graduates.
But while it clears the path for Greenwood to return to Old Trafford for a second stint, that prospect is said to be very unlikely.
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United reportedly don't expect or intend to welcome their former No. 11 back to the club in a playing capacity.
Instead, the focus has been aimed at the 50 per cent sell-on clause they also included in the deal to offset Marseille not meeting their £40m valuation.
It puts the Red Devils in a strong position to benefit from Greenwood's next transfer and will mean INEOS will be keeping a keen eye on his progress at the Stade Velodrome.
For now, though, there is a sense of relief that one of the more troubling sagas in a turbulent decade since Sir Alex Ferguson's 2013 retirement has come to an end.
