Gasperini Targets Greenwood as Roma Pursues Transfer from Marseille

Gian Piero Gasperini has stepped out from behind the desk and straight into the frontline of Roma’s transfer campaign, personally calling Mason Greenwood to push a move to the Stadio Olimpico over the line.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the Roma coach has asked the 24-year-old to “wait” while the club finalises its approach to Marseille, a direct intervention that underlines just how central Greenwood is to his plans for next season.

A manager tired of compromise

Gasperini did not hide his irritation with Roma’s attacking output across the 2025-26 campaign. Too blunt, too inconsistent, not enough incision. In Greenwood he sees the antidote: a forward who can stretch defences, score, create and change the rhythm of a game almost on his own.

This is not a casual target. The manager’s phone call is a clear signal that Greenwood is not merely one name on a list, but the focal point of a rebuild aimed at mounting a genuine Serie A title push.

Personal terms in place

Roma have already cleared one of the biggest obstacles. An agreement on personal terms is in place, with Greenwood described as keen on a move to the Italian capital and the Stadio Olimpico.

The proposed deal includes a tiered salary package starting at €4 million net per season, a structure that gives Roma room to grow the contract as the player’s influence increases. For a club juggling ambition with financial prudence, it is a calculated, targeted outlay.

Ownership has also stepped in. Ryan Friedkin is reported to be in direct contact with Greenwood’s representatives, detailing the role the Englishman would occupy in Gasperini’s system and within a squad being reshaped to challenge at the top end of the table.

Competition fades, window opens

At one stage, Fenerbahce looked ready to enter the race. That threat has largely evaporated. After recent club elections, interest from the Turkish side has cooled sharply, stripping away one of Roma’s main rivals for the player’s signature.

The path is clearer now. Not simple, but clearer.

Marseille hold the line

The real battle sits with Marseille’s boardroom, not with the player. The French club need to make a significant sale to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play, and Greenwood is their most obvious high-profile asset.

They are holding out for a fee in the region of €55 million, a price shaped by his productive spell in Ligue 1 and the leverage that comes with being under no obligation to sell quickly at a discount.

Roma’s response is to probe that stance. Their opening proposal is expected to land at around €40 million including bonuses. The Italians are also prepared to structure the move as an initial loan with an obligation to buy, a mechanism that would ease the immediate hit to their accounts.

For Marseille, though, the need is cash now. That tension between sporting logic and financial urgency will define the next phase of talks.

Clauses on top of clauses

There is another club watching every twist. When Manchester United sold Greenwood to Marseille, they inserted a substantial sell-on clause into the deal. Any permanent transfer this summer will send a percentage of the fee back to Old Trafford, offering a timely boost to United’s own market plans.

Roma know this and are ready to get creative. Reports suggest they are even willing to include a sell-on clause of their own, potentially above 10 per cent, to help bridge the gap in valuation and tempt Marseille into accepting a lower guaranteed figure.

It is the modern transfer market in miniature: layered, leveraged, and laden with future percentages.

Player already preparing for the move

While the clubs haggle over millions, the player’s actions tell their own story. Greenwood has reportedly begun the process of vacating his home in France, anticipating a move across the Alps.

The phone call from Gasperini, the direct involvement of Friedkin, the salary framework already in place – Roma have made their intentions plain. Now the question is simple: will Marseille blink, or will Roma be forced to push their offer closer to that €55 million mark to land the forward they believe can change the shape of their season?