Gasperini Targets Greenwood as Roma Pursues Marseille Deal

Roma are treating Mason Greenwood as a cornerstone, not a luxury. You can tell by the way Gian Piero Gasperini has approached the deal: personally, directly, and with urgency.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the Roma coach has already picked up the phone to speak with the 24-year-old, asking him to “wait” while the club put the final pieces of their move to Marseille in place. No intermediaries. No distance. A manager trying to lock in his man before the market shifts.

Gasperini’s stance is no surprise. He spent much of the 2025-26 campaign lamenting his attacking options, and internally Greenwood has been identified as the answer to that problem. Not a rotation piece. A focal point. The manager’s intervention underlines just how central the former Manchester United forward is to Roma’s plan to mount a serious Serie A title push next season.

Roma, for their part, have already cleared one of the biggest hurdles. Personal terms are understood to be agreed, with Greenwood keen on a move to the Stadio Olimpico. The proposed contract features a tiered salary structure, starting at around €4 million net per season, a figure that reflects both Roma’s belief in his upside and the realities of their wage bill.

The market around Greenwood has shifted in Roma’s favour. Fenerbahce, once strongly linked, have seen their interest cool significantly after recent club elections, removing one of the main competitors from the race. That has left Roma ownership with a clear run at the player, and Ryan Friedkin is also said to be in direct contact with Greenwood’s camp, outlining the precise role awaiting him in the Italian capital.

The enthusiasm on the player’s side, though, doesn’t solve everything. The real fight sits between the two clubs.

Marseille, under pressure to raise funds to satisfy Financial Fair Play requirements, need a major sale this summer. Greenwood, after a productive spell in Ligue 1, has become one of their most marketable assets. They are holding firm on a valuation in the region of €55 million, a figure they believe reflects his form and age as he enters his prime.

Roma are preparing to challenge that stance. The Italian club are expected to open with an offer of around €40 million including bonuses, a bid designed to test Marseille’s resolve rather than blow them away at the first attempt. Roma are also open to structuring the deal as an initial loan with an obligation to buy, a formula that would ease their immediate outlay but may not satisfy Marseille’s need for quick liquidity.

That tension over structure and timing could define the entire negotiation. Marseille want cash now. Roma want flexibility. Something has to give.

Watching from a distance, but with a clear financial interest, are Manchester United. When they sold Greenwood to Marseille, they inserted a significant sell-on clause, and any permanent transfer this summer would send a percentage of the fee back to Old Trafford. For United, it’s a potential windfall that could subtly reshape their own summer business.

Roma, aware of those moving parts, are even prepared to sweeten the pot in a different way. Reports suggest the Giallorossi are willing to include a sell-on clause of their own, potentially above 10 per cent, to help close the gap in valuation and reassure Marseille they won’t be walking away from future profit if Greenwood’s value continues to rise.

While executives trade figures and clauses, Greenwood’s actions hint at where this is heading. He has reportedly already begun the process of vacating his home in France, a clear sign he expects his next chapter to be written across the Alps.

Roma have made their move. Gasperini has made his pitch. Now the deal rests in the narrow space between Marseille’s financial needs and Roma’s determination to turn a long-coveted target into the spearhead of a new domestic challenge.