“We Sold Him for a Cheap Fee Back Then — But He’s Worth More Than Šeško and Mbeumo Now.”
— Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Mason Greenwood
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s admission echoes through Old Trafford like a cold wind. His voice is steady, without excuses, yet heavy with regret. “We sold him for a cheap fee. Now he’d be worth more than Šeško or Mbeumo. It’s a mistake we’re still paying for.”
Mason Greenwood was once United’s crown jewel — an academy product with ruthless precision and limitless promise. But that promise slipped away. Sold in 2024 to Marseille, he is now thriving as their talisman.
Benjamin Šeško’s valuation hovers near €85 million. Bryan Mbeumo’s around €75 million. Ratcliffe believes Greenwood would top €100 million in today’s market — a painful reminder of what was traded for short-term financial relief.
The regret deepens when Ratcliffe recalls the chaos that followed: spiraling debt, marquee signings that underperformed — Antony, Casemiro, Højlund, Onana, Sancho. Greenwood’s exit hurt differently. Not just a sale, but the loss of an identity.
Marseille secured him for roughly €31.6 million (£26.6–£27 million) with a 40–50% sell-on clause, ensuring United will profit if he moves again — potentially recouping more than £50 million in total. Still, the numbers can’t mask the void.
Greenwood wasted no time in France: two goals within 30 minutes of his debut, a lightning double inside one minute later that season, and 21 goals to finish joint top scorer in Ligue 1. Marseille now values him at around £82 million, nearly triple their investment.
Ratcliffe pictures the cost — fifteen years of nurturing lost in a moment of boardroom pragmatism. “Selling talent cheap isn’t saving money,” he says quietly. “It’s sacrificing identity.”
He imagines walking through Old Trafford’s silent corridors, pausing at Greenwood’s old locker. Whispering the name like a requiem: “Mason Greenwood.” A symbol of what could have been, and a reminder that some regrets never leave.
