He might not be a Manchester United player any longer, but Mason Greenwood could still earn the club a hefty chunk of money in the near future.
The 23-year-old joined Marseille last summer in a £25.6million deal, ending his 17-year association with the Red Devils. He's been in hot form ever since, having notched 11 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 club this season.
United may have parted ways with the forward for good, but it's in their best interests that he continues to perform well in France. This is because of the 'sizeable' sell-on clause they agreed with Marseille during transfer negotiations last year. According to TBR Football, the clause could be as high as 50 per cent, which means United could land millions if Greenwood moves to another club.
Last month, it was claimed that Greenwood's performances had attracted interest from Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona – who have had the Englishman in their crosshairs for some time. It's thought that a bid of around £60m would be enough to secure Greenwood's services, which, consequently, would see United pocket around £30m.
The powers that be at Old Trafford would undoubtedly welcome such a deal with open arms given minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's financial prudency since taking over all footballing operations at the club last year. New manager Ruben Amorim will presumably be keen to bring in new players to mould the squad in his image, but with money a little tight at the moment, transfer plans have reportedly been scaled back.
A blockbuster move for Sporting CP hotshot Viktor Gyokeres is on the cards, but recent reports linking United with a loan move for PSG's Randal Kolo Muani suggest that the Swede might be a little out of their price range – at least this month. After all, his release clause stands at £83m, and with clubs like Bayern Munich, PSG and Arsenal in the hunt for him too, there's every chance he could cost even more than that.
Elsewhere, a move for Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan from Napoli at Galatasaray, has been touted. The Nigerian has been banging in goals in Turkey, but there is a break clause in his loan agreement that will allow him to sign for another club should Napoli receive an acceptable offer.
Amorim is also reportedly keen to sign a wing-back or two this month. The position is pivotal in his 3-4-3 system, and it's an area of the squad where United are particularly weak at the moment.
Marseille selling Greenwood, who spent last season on loan from United at La Liga club Getafe, would free up some funds for the Portuguese coach, but there's no guarantee it'll happen any time soon. Marseille are flying high in Ligue 1 at the moment, and sit just a place behind table-toppers PSG.
Greenwood has been central to their recent success, and a mid-season departure would be damaging for the club, who are desperate to bounce back and reclaim a Champions League spot after finishing eighth – their worst domestic performance in nearly a decade – in the 2023/24 campaign. Nevertheless, if his strong form continues, the French club may have little say in the matter.