Tottenham's Clear 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 speculation linking Mason Greenwood with a return to the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur have no interest in signing the Olympique de Marseille forward, football.london understands. The club are not pursuing a deal, have no plans to change that stance, and are building De Zerbi’s first squad without him in mind.

The 24-year-old has rebuilt his career in France and delivered serious numbers last season. Greenwood made 45 appearances in all competitions for Marseille, 32 of them under De Zerbi before the Italian left the Orange Vélodrome. In that spell, Greenwood scored 22 goals and added eight assists, a level of output that inevitably drew attention from England.

He kept producing after De Zerbi’s departure too. Across the remaining 13 games of the campaign, the former Manchester United academy forward scored four more goals and provided three assists. His contract in Marseille runs until June 2029, giving the French club a strong hand in any negotiations that might arise with other suitors.

At Tottenham, though, the answer is clear: Greenwood is not part of the plan.

De Zerbi’s Arrival

De Zerbi’s arrival in north London already carried heavy context where Greenwood is concerned. When he was appointed as the permanent successor to Igor Tudor at Marseille, just two months after leaving the French club, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust issued a pointed statement, saying his appointment “raises serious and far-reaching concerns”.

The backdrop was De Zerbi’s previous public defence of Greenwood during their time together in Ligue 1. Greenwood had charges against him – including attempted rape and assault – dropped in February 2023. De Zerbi, speaking about the forward in France, had called him a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price”.

“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. So did the backlash.

The fan group responded with a strongly worded statement, underlining the strength of feeling among sections of the support. The club still pressed ahead, handing De Zerbi a five-year contract and the keys to a squad that had already begun to shift in a new direction.

Addressing the Issue

Faced with the reaction, De Zerbi moved to address the issue head-on in his first 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 subject did not disappear. Ahead of his first game in charge of Spurs, De Zerbi was asked again and chose to repeat his position, this time in even more personal terms.

“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.”

Against that backdrop, the club’s stance on Greenwood takes on an added clarity. Tottenham are backing their new head coach, reshaping the squad and pushing into a new phase, but they are doing so while drawing a line over one of the most contentious names in European football.

The numbers Greenwood is posting in France will keep his name in transfer columns. De Zerbi’s admiration for his footballing qualities is already on record. Yet at Spurs, the message is firm: the project will move forward without him.