BBC report Mason Greenwood wanted by Turkish giants

Mason Greenwood has spent the past two seasons rebuilding a senior career in the south of France, and on the pitch the numbers have done the talking.

The forward has scored 48 goals in 81 appearances for Marseille since arriving from Manchester United, and this season he managed 16 in Ligue 1, enough to finish joint second in the golden boot race behind Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul.

For a player who needed to prove he could still operate at the top level, it has been a productive spell, even if the most recent few months at the Stade Vélodrome have been more difficult.

That kind of output was never going to go unnoticed.

According to a BBC report, Greenwood is now the top transfer target for both candidates standing in Fenerbahce’s presidential election, former president Aziz Yildirim and his rival Hakan Safi, with the outcome of that vote due on Sunday.

The interest has a clear opening to work with as Marseille’s new sporting director Gregory Lorenzi confirmed last week that the club is willing to listen to offers for Greenwood.

It’s also understood that personal terms are not expected to be an obstacle, as Serie A side AS Roma have also been linked in recent days.

Greenwood’s path to Marseille followed his permanent departure from United in the summer of 2024, after the club’s internal investigation concluded he would not play for them again.

For Fenerbahce, the appeal is straightforward. The Istanbul club finished second in the Super Lig for the fifth season running and will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round in July.

A proven, prolific Ligue 1 forward is exactly the kind of statement signing a presidential candidate wants to attach his name to heading into an election.

With the domestic title still eluding them, a marquee goalscorer is being positioned as central to finally closing that gap.

However, Manchester United can still benefit from the move, as when the club sold Greenwood to Marseille for £26.6 million (€31.6 million) in 2024, the deal included what sources described as a “sizeable sell-on fee”.

What that means in practice is simple, a move to Fenerbahce, or anywhere else, would put a fresh chunk of money back into United’s accounts, which can help their significant recruitment efforts this summer.