Juventus tried to strike a deal to sign Manchester United starlet Mason Greenwood last summer. The Italian giants offered the 18-year-old a ‘life-changing amount of money’ to switch Manchester for Turin. According to The Athletic, United’s academy staff ultimately persuaded the youngster that staying at Old Trafford was the best place for his development.
Juventus’ Attempt to Sign Mason Greenwood Failed
‘Life-Changing Amounts of Money’
Juventus’ pursuit of the wonderkid happened last summer when he was in talks about a new United deal. The Old Lady offered Greenwood ‘life-changing amounts of money’ and wanted to look after his family as he adjusted to Italy.
Despite the money involved in the deal, Manchester United academy staff persuaded him to stay at Old Trafford. The driving factor in the decision was that his long-term development would be aided more in the United academy.
As well as this, Greenwood was told that a clear path to the first-team lay ahead. At the time, the then 17-year-old was scoring regularly in the under-18 set-up. He was about to make the step up to U23’s when Juventus came knocking.
Since then, the academy staff fulfilled their promise. Romelu Lukaku was sold last summer to Inter Milan, opening up space in the forward position. Manchester United failed to sign another forward, therefore, an opportunity beckoned for Greenwood.
Repaying the Trust
The easy option for Greenwood would’ve been to join Juventus. Earning plenty of money and training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo seems like a dream. Instead, he signed a new deal with Manchester United and knuckled down in training.
The hard work paid off and Greenwood looks to be the most exciting academy product at Manchester United since the famous Class of ’92. His lethal finishing is becoming a regularity in the Premier League and it is impossible to take him out of the starting XI.
Since making his senior debut against Cardiff City at the end of last season, Greenwood has flourished. He then scored his first goal against Astana in the Europa League, becoming United’s youngest scorer in a European competition. He followed that goal up with another against Rochdale in the League Cup.
In total, Greenwood has scored 16 goals in all competitions in his breakthrough campaign and is showing little signs of slowing down. Had Juventus signed United’s star boy, it is difficult to seem him playing this much senior football and scoring this many goals. No amount of money can replace scoring regularly for one’s boyhood club.
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