Roma Leads Race for Greenwood as Marseille Faces Sale
Roma have made their move. While others hesitated, the Italian club have stepped to the front of the queue for Greenwood, reaching an agreement on personal terms with the Marseille forward as they push to reshape their attack.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the 24-year-old has given the green light to a switch to the Stadio Olimpico. The framework is in place: a progressive deal starting at a net €4 million per season, topped up by performance-related bonuses. For Roma’s ownership, eager to arm their coach with more firepower, Greenwood has been identified as a priority piece.
The transfer, though, is still trapped in the only place that matters now – between the two clubs’ negotiating teams.
Marseille are holding out for around €55 million. Roma’s opening proposal sits closer to €40m. That gap is not a minor detail; it is the deal. Talks are ongoing as both sides test how far the other is willing to bend.
The French club’s position is complicated by their own financial strain and reports of a possible threat to their participation in next season’s Europa League. The need to generate funds has pushed Greenwood, one of their more marketable assets after a productive spell in Ligue 1, towards the shop window whether they like it or not.
Signs of an exit are already visible. Reports in France suggest Greenwood has handed back the keys to his house in Aix, a small but telling gesture that points towards a life being packed up and moved on from.
Only a few weeks ago, the story looked very different. Fenerbahce appeared to be in pole position, their interest fuelled by presidential candidate Hakan Safi, who publicly tied part of his campaign to landing the forward and claimed to have agreed a deal running until 2030. The message was clear: vote for me, and Greenwood comes to Istanbul.
The election result killed that narrative. Safi lost to Aziz Yildirim, and with him went the political backing and momentum behind the transfer. The proposal linked to Safi stalled, then faded altogether. As the noise from Istanbul died down, the door swung open for Roma.
Now the Italian club are regarded as the leading contenders for Greenwood’s signature, with the player’s reported preference aligning neatly with their ambition to refresh their attacking options before the new season.
Everything from here turns on the numbers. Roma will keep pushing to drag Marseille’s valuation down in the coming weeks, aiming to strike before pre-season rhythms take over and squads begin to settle. Marseille, under pressure but not desperate enough to fold at the first counter-offer, will try to squeeze as much as they can from a sale that feels increasingly inevitable.
There is a third club watching all of this with interest. Manchester United are understood to have a sell-on clause from Greenwood’s previous move, meaning any agreement between Roma and Marseille will ripple back to Old Trafford’s balance sheet.
For now, Roma have what every suitor wants in a transfer saga: the player’s approval and a clear plan on the table. The rest depends on whether their opening bid is the start of a serious climb towards Marseille’s price – or the ceiling of their ambition.
