Marseille president Pablo Longoria has opened up on Mason Greenwood's future at the club after a prolific first campaign in French football.

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• Greenwood has enjoyed prolific first season
• Has been linked with a move away
• Marseille eager for forward to stay

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Greenwood has helped fire Marseille into the Champions League by finishing second in Ligue 1 behind champions PSG. The former Manchester United forward ended the season as the joint-top goalscorer in Ligue 1 alongside Ousmane Dembele after netting 21 times in the French top flight.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The forward's prolific form has seen a move away from Marseille speculated upon. Longoria has now lifted the lift on the club's plans for Greenwood ahead of the summer transfer window and has made it clear the French side are determined to keep hold of him and view him as one of the most important members of their squad.

• WHAT LONGORIA SAID

  He told a press conference: "He's a key player in the squad. We'd like to provide continuity. He's happy here. We're happy with his performance this season. He scored 21 goals (in Ligue 1), plus one in the Cup. He was one of the most important players of the season, and we're very proud of his first season. There were ups and downs, naturally. But it was his first full season with a preseason. Everything happened very quickly for him compared to past situations. Regarding the contract situation, we bought 50% of the player's value; it was the only way to complete the transaction because they had offers higher than ours. Qualifying for the Champions League requires us to buy around 10% more."

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  Longoria also confirmed he is eager for De Zerbi to stay on as coach: "The club wants to continue with Roberto. Roberto has already expressed his desire to stay at the club. I think everyone is on the same page. We’re not going to make a soap opera out of this. We need good timing. To plan a future together and bring stability to the club, we’re going to bring down the usual adrenaline level in this club so we can have a calm conversation.”

  However, the club chief did admit that Luis Henrique will be sold, explaining: "Our goal is to sell Luis Henrique before 30 June, for accounting reasons, in line with our commitment to UEFA, the DNCG and out of respect for the owner. This is something we have shared with his entourage. Discussions began during the season, taking the risk that he might not be fully focused.”

Tags: Futebol
Category: News