Mason Greenwood clears up Marseille future amid Premier League return links

Mason Greenwood arrived at Marseille from Manchester United for around £26m last summer and has impressed in front of goal, scoring 26 goals so far - but there have been rumours he wants to return to England

Marseille star Mason Greenwood has claimed he wants to stay at the club next season to compete in their Champions League campaign - despite reports the former Manchester United forward could leave the French club. Greenwood has enjoyed a successful first term with the Ligue 1 side after scoring 19 goals in France's top division.

Greenwood was signed by Marseille for around £26million last summer after a one-year loan spell with La Liga side Getafe. It came after he was frozen out of the Manchester United squad following allegations of attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour against the striker - with the charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.

The 23-year-old has since been trying to rebuild his career and has largely been a success in France due to his goalscoring exploits, helping the team qualify for the Champions League next season as they close in on a 2nd placed finish behind rivals PSG.

Recent reports claimed Greenwood was "yearning" for a return to the Premier League, with two unnamed clubs weighing up a move for the England international.

However, the man himself has insisted he is happy in France and feels "at home" in Marseille, telling a press conference that he is planning to compete in Europe's elite with his team-mates next season.

"I hope to be here next year for the Champions League, ” said Greenwood at a rare press conference appearance. “All the other players tell me that the stadium is something special. I think it’s been a very positive season , we’ve reached our objective.

"I feel at home here. I recently had a baby here with my girlfriend. Not a lot of people get to experience that kind of thing here and with all my teammates and coaches I would like to thank them all."

The Telegraph have also reported that figures close to Marseille accept it is possible they could accept a transfer for Greenwood in the next two seasons.

While Greenwood has impressed in front of goal, he has frustrated fans and manager Roberto De Zerbi over his work rate. There were even rumours that team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg asked him to be removed from the squad and the Italian previously said he expected more of the player.

"No one can have more respect for him than I do," De Zerbi said earlier this year. "But that doesn’t change anything: I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.

"If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined."