“We don’t want mercenaries” – Club chief takes swipe at player he tried to sign from Man United

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has aimed an extraordinary public dig at former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood after trying and failing to sign him from the Red Devils this summer.

Greenwood shone on loan from Man Utd at Getafe last season, leading to plenty of rumoured interest in him this summer, with the 23-year-old eventually ending up making the move to Ligue 1 giants Marseille.

Still, it seems Lazio were also keen, with Lotito now hitting out at Greenwood by saying he has no regrets over not getting the deal done due to not wanting “mercenaries” at his club, suggesting the former England international was primarily motivated by money…

??? Lazio president Lotito on Mason Greenwood deal collapsed in July: “It’s absolutely not a regret. We don’t want mercenaries.”

“He’s happy at Marseille, Mason made a choice and that’s fine. We don’t accept mercenaries, we only want those who choose Lazio”. pic.twitter.com/mNgs2u24ou

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 15, 2024

It seems Greenwood clearly didn’t show enough commitment to the idea of playing for Lazio, and Lotito wasn’t having any of that, so he has no regrets that the deal collapsed in the end, as per the quote above, relayed by Fabrizio Romano on X, formerly Twitter.

Mason Greenwood transfer: What next for the Man United outcast?

Greenwood has started well at Marseille and it’s clear he could surely have also had an impact at a big club like Lazio, but for United they will have to accept that this big talent ultimately got away from them.

Greenwood was notably arrested in early 2022 (as per the BBC) and subsequently suspended by MUFC, never playing for the club again, and Give Me Sport have recently reported on some key figures at Old Trafford feeling frustration at missing out on big money from this sale that they were slightly forced into making.

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Of course, some things are bigger than football, and the very serious nature of the charges made against Greenwood, even if they were later dropped, surely mean it would have been very difficult for United to bring him back into the team, and there’ll be plenty of fans who’ll be relieved he’s gone.