As we discussed several weeks ago, Roma’s pursuit of Marseille forward Mason Greenwood is fraught with problems. From the moral and ethical quandaries that arise from signing a player with his arrest record to the sheer cost of the transfer, this was always a dicey proposition. While the club itself doesn’t appear to have a problem signing a player with a history of domestic abuse (to put it lightly), the stop-and-start nature of this rumor, which already features a host of financial gymnastics as Roma attempts
to obliterate their record transfer fee, suggests one important fact: this is pure fantasy.
Even if you can divorce yourself from the ethical dilemmas associated with this move, it still doesn’t hold water. While Marseille is facing its own Financial Fair Play repercussions, with a reported 40 to 50% of any Greenwood transfer fee going directly to Manchester United, the French club isn’t likely to do Roma any favors. So don’t hold your breath waiting for OM to come down from their €55 million asking price or to accommodate any prolonged payment plan.
And then there are the more practical squad-building concerns. Beyond signing a Greenwood-type player for the wing, Roma needs upgrades at full-back and attacking midfield, a serviceable backup for Donyell Malen, and potentially replacements for Manu Koné, Evan Ndicka, and Matías Soulé. Even if Greenwood-for-Soulé is a positional wash, we’re still looking at three to four significant signings that must fit within a reported €100 million budget. Allocating more than half of that budget to one player doesn’t make sense given the club’s other needs.
Accordingly, the Corriere dello Sport reports that Roma and new Sporting Director Tony D’Amico are exploring alternatives, including Kerim Alajbegović, Antonio Nusa, Mathys Tel, Christos Tzolis, and even last year’s transfer rumor darling, Joshua Zirkzee. Transfers are seldom cut and dry, and while none of these players are cheap, they would give D’Amico more flexibility to address other areas of the pitch.
The sooner we can move on from this Greenwood rumor, the better.
