Roma Pursues Mason Greenwood: Gasperini's Direct Approach

Roma are pushing hard for Mason Greenwood – and Gian Piero Gasperini has decided this is not a negotiation to be left to intermediaries.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the Roma coach has personally called the 24-year-old, asking him to “wait” while the club put the final pieces of their approach to Marseille in place. No filters, no distance. A manager speaking directly to the player he believes can transform his attack.

Gasperini spent much of the 2025-26 campaign lamenting his forward options. Too blunt, too inconsistent, not enough incision in the final third. In Greenwood he sees the answer: a versatile, goal-hungry forward with the profile to lead a serious tilt at the Serie A title next season. The phone call underlines it – Greenwood is not a luxury idea, he is central to Roma’s plan.

Roma have already made significant headway. The Giallorossi are understood to have reached an agreement on personal terms, with Greenwood keen on a move to the Stadio Olimpico. The proposed deal includes a tiered salary, starting at €4 million net per season, a structure that reflects both Roma’s financial reality and their belief that his value will grow.

The market around him has shifted in their favour. Fenerbahce, once strongly linked, have seen their interest cool markedly after recent club elections, removing a major rival from the race. That has left Roma’s ownership with a clear run, and Ryan Friedkin has reportedly stepped in himself, speaking with Greenwood’s camp to spell out the role waiting for him in the capital – not just another signing, but a focal point.

The real battle now lies between the clubs. Greenwood wants the move. Roma want the player. Marseille want the money.

The French side are under pressure to cash in on a big name to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play, yet they are holding firm on a valuation of around €55 million after Greenwood’s productive season in Ligue 1. Roma, by contrast, are preparing to open at €40m including bonuses, a bid designed to test Marseille’s resolve and drag the price into a more manageable bracket.

Roma are also ready to get creative. One option on the table is an initial loan with an obligation to buy, spreading the cost across multiple seasons. Whether Marseille accept such a structure is another matter. Their need is immediate, their accounts under scrutiny, and a deal with delayed payments may not satisfy the financial watchdogs.

Old Trafford is watching closely. When Manchester United sold Greenwood to Marseille, they inserted a significant sell-on clause into the agreement. Any permanent move this summer would send a slice of the fee back to the Premier League club, topping up their own transfer budget without lifting a finger.

Roma, aware of that mechanism and the financial tension in France, are even prepared to build in a sell-on clause of their own – potentially above 10 per cent – to help close the gap in valuation. It is a rare concession, and a clear sign of how far they are willing to go to land their man.

While the negotiations grind on, the player himself seems to be moving ahead of the paperwork. Reports suggest Greenwood has already started the process of vacating his home in France, acting as though a move across the Alps is not just possible, but imminent.

Now the numbers have to catch up with the intention.