As a youngster, Mason Greenwood had the world at his feet – impressing at Manchester United and England after breaking through the ranks as a teenager.
Greenwood, now 24, is rebuilding his career at Marseille after serious off-field controversy.
The striker has been in incredible form in France, in a World Cup year no less, but his future is still far from clear.
ESPN rounds up the latest on Greenwood’s career.
How did Greenwood end up in Marseille?
After a brilliant start to his Manchester United career (scoring 32 goals for the club by the time he turned 20), Greenwood was suspended in January 2022 after being arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault and coercive behaviour.
Criminal charges were dropped in February 2023 after the Crown Prosecution Service said key witnesses withdrew their involvement and new material came to light which meant there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”.
United then launched their own investigation and in August said there was a “mutual” agreement for him to leave the club. At the end of that transfer window, Greenwood was loaned to Getafe.
Greenwood impressed in LaLiga, with eight goals in 33 appearances. That was enough for Marseille to come calling, with sources telling ESPN that the permanent deal was worth £26.7 million ($35 million) and includes a substantial clause for United should the Englishman move again.
How are you doing in France?
There is no doubt that Greenwood has been one of the best forwards in Europe over the last two seasons.
After finishing top of the scoring charts last year with eventual Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Greenwood stands alone this season with 12 goals.
His goal against Angers on January 18 helped Marseille stay level with Lens and Paris Saint-Germain, while he continued his good run, scoring nine times in his last seven appearances in all competitions. He scored a hat trick in a 9-0 demolition of Bayeux on January 13.
Such is his form that manager Roberto de Zerbi has high hopes for his future.
“I don’t see any other player in Europe at the same level,” he said in December. “He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Will he achieve a withdrawal from England?
Greenwood played for virtually every age group in youth internationals for England and made his senior debut in a 1-0 away win over Iceland on 5 September 2020. However, two days later, he and Phil Foden were dropped from the squad after breaking Covid quarantine guidelines. Gareth Southgate insisted Greenwood was still in his plans a year later, before the United arrest and suspension rocked his career.
There has been no call-up since, although Greenwood is still keeping his options open despite obtaining a Jamaican passport to represent his grandparents’ nation. England manager Thomas Tuchel, however, denied being on England’s radar in September 2025.
“I haven’t spoken to him until now,” Tuchel said. “I haven’t spoken to him or his team.
“I understood that he intends to play for Jamaica, so we didn’t think about it anymore. He’s not in our thoughts for our team.”
But could I still go to the World Cup?
Technically, yes, as Jamaica can still qualify, if it wins the intercontinental playoff games against New Caledonia and then the Democratic Republic of the Congo in March.
Greenwood, however, has not yet completed the change of association form required to switch allegiance to Jamaica, and did not accept a call-up for the final qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda in September.
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts told The Athletic in November that he still hopes Greenwood will represent the reggae boys before the World Cup because he was “excited to have his paperwork resolved.”
Some of the Jamaican players, however, seem less interested.
“[The JFF] “We are obsessed with names and trying to recruit more players,” Isaac Hayden, former Arsenal and Newcastle player and now at QPR, told The Athletic.
“The quality of the player, his numbers, what he is producing, is of the highest level. But it all comes down to principles and integrity. If players can just shine thanks to a World Cup, it would all be a farce. That would say a lot about the player and the organization for allowing that to happen.”
Charlton defender Amari’i Bell said Greenwood, or any other player, joining late would be “controversial”.
Could he return to the Premier League?
While his form in Ligue 1 would normally make him a priority for any of the Premier League’s top teams, his off-field past in England makes a return to these shores incredibly unlikely.
However, a transfer to a bigger club in Europe should not be ruled out, given that he already represented Getafe in LaLiga.