Mason Greenwood and Alejandro Garnacho are about to do Man Utd a big favour | Football | Sport

Manchester United stand to benefit from another substantial sell-on payment with Alejandro Garnacho set to leave Chelsea and Mason Greenwood being lined up with a move to Fenerbahce. Should both players leave their current clubs, United are in line for a significant boost to Michael Carrick’s transfer funds. Garnacho has endured a challenging period since his £40million switch to Stamford Bridge from Old Trafford last summer. The Argentine made minimal impact in west London as the Blues limped to a 10th-place Premier League finish – missing out on European football altogether.

This has sparked suggestions that the 22-year-old could be moved on, with the Press Association reporting that Chelsea are willing to sell and will consider bids around £42.5m. United are set to receive an additional payment from last year’s sale of Garnacho if he departs Chelsea, having astutely inserted a 10 per cent sell-on clause into the deal. That guarantees them a share of any future transfer fee should Chelsea opt to sell. Reports from Italy suggest that Roma are monitoring the United academy product.

It is understood that the Serie A outfit’s Champions League qualification would allow them to pursue a permanent deal if desired, though they would preferably look to secure the winger on loan with an option to buy.

Given that Garnacho progressed through the academy system – having arrived at United from Atletico Madrid for merely £100,000 back in 2020 – the initial £40m fee received from Chelsea was recorded as pure profit under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The very same financial advantage would apply to any sell-on income United receive further down the line. This comes after reports emerging from Turkey suggesting Fenerbahce are poised to secure Greenwood for £34m (€40m) plus €2m in bonuses.

The Red Devils shipped the forward out to French Ligue 1 side Marseille during the summer of 2024.

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United also negotiated a sell-on clause as part of that arrangement, entitling them to a substantial share of any future transfer fee Marseille might command. While early reports varied, the clause is widely understood to fall somewhere between 40 and 50 per cent.

According to ESPN, both Fenerbahce and Atletico Madrid have reached agreements with Marseille. United stand to pocket £11.9m (€14m ) should Greenwood choose a move to Turkey, or £13.3m (€15.7m) if he returns to Madrid, where he previously spent time on loan at Getafe while still registered as a United player.

Greenwood has found the net 48 times in 81 appearances for Marseille. His remarkable form has led former Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi, now in charge of Tottenham, to back him for Ballon d’Or contention.

He said: “I see him every day, he has huge potential. I don’t see any other players in Europe at the same level.

“He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. It will be up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not. At the level of the qualities that nature has given him, that his parents have given him, I think he is worthy of the Ballon d’Or.

“I would like him to be more consistent. I know he needs to press with more intensity, he needs to manage the ball better when the team is in trouble, not lose the ball easily, but keep it to allow the team to move up because he has the ability to do it.”