Tottenham Shuts Down Mason Greenwood Transfer Rumors Under De Zerbi
Tottenham’s new era under Roberto De Zerbi is beginning to take shape – and one of the summer’s most contentious transfer links has already been firmly shut down.
Club sources insist Tottenham are not interested in signing Mason Greenwood from Olympique de Marseille, despite reports in France and England suggesting a Premier League return could be on the table for the 24-year-old. For Spurs, there is no pursuit, no negotiations, no plan to bring him to north London.
That stance carries extra weight given the man now in the dugout.
De Zerbi, Greenwood and a fault line of controversy
Greenwood’s name has followed De Zerbi into his new job whether he likes it or not. The forward enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career under the Italian at Marseille last season, scoring 22 goals and registering eight assists in 32 appearances while De Zerbi was still in charge at the Orange Velodrome. Across the full campaign, Greenwood ended with 26 goals and 11 assists in 45 games in all competitions.
Those numbers alone would usually guarantee a place on any recruitment shortlist. Here, they don’t.
The complication is well known. Greenwood, a Manchester United academy graduate, had charges including attempted rape and assault dropped in February 2023. When De Zerbi later spoke about the player during their time together at Marseille, he described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and stressed he did not want to delve into the forward’s private life.
Those comments did not disappear into the background when Tottenham came calling.
Supporters’ Trust makes its stance clear
When De Zerbi was appointed as permanent successor to Igor Tudor at Spurs, just two months after leaving Marseille, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust issued a strongly worded statement. The group said his arrival “raises serious and far-reaching concerns”, capturing the strength of feeling among a significant section of the fanbase.
The club pressed ahead. De Zerbi signed a five-year contract and walked into a job that came with more than tactical questions waiting for him.
He addressed the issue head-on in his first interview with club media. No evasions, no attempt to brush it away.
“I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly,” he said. “In my life, I have always stood up for who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I have consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are more at risk.
“Those of you who know me well will know I'm not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. I apologise to those who I offended with this subject matter.
“I have a daughter, and I'm very sensitive to these things and always have been. I hope that over time, people will get to know me better and will understand that in that moment, I didn't mean to take a stance.”
The words were deliberate, measured, and clearly aimed at rebuilding trust before a ball had even been kicked.
A line drawn in the market
The questions did not stop there. Ahead of his first game in charge of Tottenham, De Zerbi again found himself addressing the same topic in front of reporters.
“I was a bit sad and sorry it happened because I'm sorry if somebody took offence,” he said. “I must repeat what I said. This topic is very close to me. I'm very sensitive about this topic because of the person I am and because I have a daughter.
“And so I must repeat what I said the other time. I have always been against – always – any type of violence, especially against women. But not only violence, even just sexist jokes or other sexist behaviours.
“I have a daughter, and I'm directly affected by it. I know who I am. I know the type of person I am, so I wasn't annoyed by the questions – I'm just sad about them.”
Against that backdrop, Tottenham’s position on Greenwood is not just a routine piece of transfer business. It reads as a clear line in the sand.
For a club intent on building an “exciting new era” around De Zerbi’s football, the message is blunt: the goals Greenwood scored for him in France will stay in France. Spurs are looking elsewhere to shape the squad that will define their new manager’s time in north London.
