The forward, Mason Greenwood, who has just completed his transfer from Manchester United to Marseille, broke his silence in response to fans’ criticism. He stated that he and his girlfriend have reconciled and recently celebrated their daughter’s first birthday.
Greenwood signed with Marseille on Thursday, agreeing to a deal worth over £30 million (a base of £27 million plus £3 million in add-ons), bringing an end to his controversial two-year stint at Manchester United. The forward had not played for Manchester United since January 2022; last season, he was loaned out to Getafe in La Liga, where he scored ten goals and provided six assists.
In early 2022, he was arrested by the police and faced charges including attempted rape and assault. However, the case was dropped in February 2023 after a key witness withdrew their testimony. Despite this, Greenwood continued to face moral scrutiny in the public eye. His situation did not improve even after leaving Manchester United, as evidenced by comments from the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, who said, “Seeing this man wearing the Marseille shirt is disgusting to me, it shames my club.”
Under intense pressure, Greenwood maintained that the controversy was behind him: “Obviously, I am aware of the debates, and I understand the issue. I don’t want to be involved in any controversy. I had the opportunity to speak about it last year, and now it’s all in the past.”
“My partner and I have rebuilt our relationship. As a couple, we spent a year in Madrid. We’ve been together since we were 15 and 16 years old, and now we have a beautiful little daughter who just turned one. I’m focused on the future, concentrating solely on Marseille and our new life in the city.”
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United had hoped to reintegrate Greenwood into the team but changed their minds due to strong public opposition. Last season, while on loan at Getafe, Greenwood became the club’s player of the season. Recently, Greenwood said, “I know people will judge me based on what they see on social media, and they will think the worst. I’ve known since I was young that violence or abuse in any relationship is wrong, and I didn’t do the things I was accused of. However, I made mistakes in my personal life, and I take responsibility for what appeared on social media.”
On August 3rd, Marseille will travel to Bradford for a preseason match against Sunderland. If Greenwood plays, it will mark his first public appearance in England in two years, six months, and twelve days.