Tottenham's Stance on Mason Greenwood Amid De Zerbi's Arrival
Tottenham’s new era under Roberto De Zerbi is gathering pace in the transfer market – but one name will not be part of it.
Despite fresh links from France and talk of a Premier League return, Tottenham Hotspur are not pursuing a deal for Mason Greenwood from Olympique de Marseille, football.london understands. There is no intention at Spurs to move for the 24-year-old forward, no negotiations, no plan to bring him to north London.
That stance is significant. Greenwood, contracted at the Orange Vélodrome until June 2029, has just delivered the kind of season that usually sends recruitment departments scrambling for data clips and scouting reports. He played 45 times in all competitions for Marseille last term, 32 of those under De Zerbi, scoring 22 goals and providing eight assists with the Italian in the dugout.
When De Zerbi left and others finished the campaign, Greenwood still produced. Across the remaining 13 matches, the former Manchester United academy product added four more goals and three assists. A forward reborn in Ligue 1, statistically at least.
So why the hard line from Spurs?
A fault line between pitch and perception
The Greenwood question at Tottenham has never been just about football.
When De Zerbi was confirmed as the permanent successor to Igor Tudor, only two months after leaving Marseille, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust did not hide its concern. The fan group said his arrival “raises serious and far-reaching concerns”, a clear reference to the head coach’s previous public defence of Greenwood during their time together in France.
Greenwood had charges against him – including attempted rape and assault – dropped in February 2023. During his spell at Marseille, De Zerbi publicly described the forward as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and spoke about the environment the club had provided for him.
“I don't want to get involved in anyone's private life,” De Zerbi said at the time. “All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad; he paid in a strong way for what happened. He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him.
“When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details. Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England.”
Those comments travelled quickly. They shaped opinion in England long before De Zerbi set foot in the technical area at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Supporters’ Trust responded with a strongly worded statement, underlining the “strength of feeling” among fans. The club still pushed ahead, appointing De Zerbi on a five-year contract, but the debate around Greenwood and the manager’s stance was never going to disappear quietly.
De Zerbi’s apology and Spurs’ clear line
Conscious of the storm he was walking into, De Zerbi addressed the subject directly in his first official interview with club media. He did not try to sidestep it.
“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 theme continued when he faced reporters ahead of his first game in charge of Tottenham. He knew the questions were coming. He answered them head-on.
“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.”
Those words matter in the context of the current transfer window. They sit alongside the club’s internal calculations, the mood among supporters, and the wider scrutiny of how football handles players with serious allegations in their recent past, regardless of legal outcomes.
The result is a firm position: Tottenham are not looking to reunite De Zerbi with Greenwood. Whatever the numbers say about goals and assists in Ligue 1, the club’s line is drawn elsewhere.
As De Zerbi lays down the foundations of his “exciting new era”, this is one battle he and Spurs have chosen not to fight.
