Gasperini Pursues Greenwood as Roma Negotiates with Marseille

Gian Piero Gasperini has decided this one cannot be left to intermediaries and email chains. Roma’s coach has, according to Corriere dello Sport, picked up the phone himself to speak directly with Mason Greenwood, asking the forward to “wait” while the club formalise their move with Marseille.

It is a revealing move. Gasperini spent much of the 2025-26 campaign lamenting his lack of cutting edge in attack. In Greenwood he sees not just another option, but the reference point of a new frontline, a player around whom he can remodel Roma’s attacking identity as they try to launch a serious tilt at the Serie A title next season.

Roma, for their part, have already cleared one of the most delicate hurdles. An agreement on personal terms is in place, with Greenwood understood to be keen on a switch to the Stadio Olimpico. The proposed deal features a tiered salary, starting at around €4 million net per year – a structure that gives Roma some breathing space under their own financial parameters while rewarding performance and progression.

The market around Greenwood has shifted in Roma’s favour. Fenerbahce, once strongly linked, have stepped back after their recent club elections, their interest cooling at precisely the moment Roma have accelerated. That has left the Giallorossi with a relatively clear run, and ownership have moved to capitalise. Ryan Friedkin is said to be in direct contact with the player’s camp, outlining not only the financial proposal but the specific role Greenwood would occupy in the capital: central to the project, central to the attack.

Yet the real battle lies elsewhere – across the negotiating table with Marseille.

The French club, under pressure to make a significant sale to satisfy Financial Fair Play requirements, know they hold one of the market’s more valuable chips. Greenwood’s productive spell in Ligue 1 has pushed their valuation into the €55 million bracket, and they are in no rush to climb down from that figure, especially with the need for immediate liquidity looming over their summer planning.

Roma are preparing to test that stance. Their opening proposal is expected to come in at around €40 million including bonuses – a sizeable offer but still some distance from Marseille’s asking price. The Italians are also exploring a structure based on an initial loan with an obligation to buy, a formula that would ease the immediate hit on their accounts. Whether Marseille, who require cash now rather than later, will accept such terms is far from guaranteed.

Old Trafford is watching closely. When Manchester United sold Greenwood to Marseille, they inserted a significant sell-on clause. Any permanent deal this summer would send a slice of the fee back to the Premier League club, topping up their own transfer budget and adding another layer of intrigue to a negotiation already laden with financial subplots.

Roma, aware of Marseille’s stance and United’s quiet interest in the outcome, are ready to be creative. Reports suggest they are even willing to include a sell-on clause of their own, potentially above 10 per cent, to help close the gap in valuation. It is an unusual concession for a club that sees the player as a long-term pillar, but underlines just how determined they are to get this over the line.

While executives haggle over percentages and payment schedules, Greenwood appears to be acting as if the move will happen. He has reportedly begun the process of vacating his home in France, a practical step that hints at his expectation of a new life across the Alps.

For Gasperini and Roma, the message is clear: they have chosen their man. The question now is whether they can find a price that Marseille – and the financial watchdogs hovering over them – are willing to accept.