Following the 22-year-old’s contentious move from Manchester United earlier this month, Mason Greenwood scored his first goal for new club Olympique de Marseille.

Marseille signed Greenwood with a plethora of European clubs eager for the attacker, including Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Juventus, and Getafe – the team he loaned last season.

Given Greenwood’s protracted and very controversial legal problems, he had not participated competitive football in over eighteen months at the time, so the loan to the Liga side was a successful one. Having helped to contribute to 14 goals (8 goals and 6 assists) in 33 league games in Spain, the 22-year-old took home Getafe’s Player of the Season title.

 

 

Although Getafe wanted Greenwood to stay at the club next season, ultimately Marseille presented United with the finest financial package as well as the choice the academy graduate felt most suited.

Including a sizable portion of any future sale, the purchase, valued at an estimated €31.6 million (£26.7 million) overall (£23.3 million fixed price plus £3.4 million in add-ons), United is entitled to half of the forward Marseille may earn on a future deal.

And, United is probably going to benefit greatly from this clause as Greenwood will keep rediscovering the form that made him one of the valuable children in the world before his legal problems.

Nonetheless, the Spanish team is entitled to 20% of the income earned from the arrangement, per per the agreement over the loan move with Getafe, which essentially helped restore Greenwood to professional football amid a highly contentious environment.

Though Getafe’s share of the profit will significantly affect United’s limited transfer budget this summer, as an academy player the money generated from Greenwood represents pure profit from a Financial Fair Play standpoint.

Marseille’s supporters as well as the French city overall reacted negatively expectedly to the team’s pursuit of Greenwood. While the mayor of the city, Benoit Payan, referred to the action as a “disgrace,” fans started an online petition rejecting the move.

Still, the move proceeded with fresh Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi (previously of Brighton & Hove Albion) vehemently defending Greenwood in public.

Last week the 22-year-old made his debut for his new team against Toulon; yet, in his next game he improved by opening his goal count in France. Emerging as easy 3-0 winners at their home stadium, Marseille battled Pau FC, a 2nd level team in France. Greenwood scored the first goal of the game.Arriving in the box from the left-wing, the attacker swiftly got the ball under control and cleverly danced past a challenging defender to score with usual accuracy past the Pau goalkeeper. His festivities were proposed.

However, it is rather unlikely to be the last goal the 22-year-old scores in the white of Marseille given the form Greenwood demonstrated in an otherwise dismal Getafe side last season and the faith De Zerbi looks ready to place in him.