The sporting side of things at Manchester United might not be progressing like Ineos would have liked but the business side of things has been taken a scalpel to.
The decisions from the new ownership haven’t always been popular but in their own words, they’ve been necessary, both on and off the pitch.
Their record in the window last summer was particularly impressive, netting United more than £100 million in sales, even though some who left have gone on to flourish.
One sale in particular, however, could be set to transform not one, but two summer windows due to Ineos’ masterstroke last summer.
Man Utd’s Mason Greenwood transfer could pay off twice
Mason Greenwood was never going to play for Man Utd again so considering that factor, the club did well to make him one of United’s top sales ever.
The transfer fee of about £26 million enabled them to supercharge their business since he was an academy product, any fee for him being pure profit.
However, when Ineos did to top it off could make all the difference because they also inserted a sell-on clause in Greenwood’s transfer to Marseille.
The clause entitles them to receive about 40-50% of the profit Marseille potentially make on his eventual sale. Less than 12 months on from that move, it could become a reality.
Greenwood has impressed in France, emerging as Ligue 1’s most reliable goalscorer and the teams are already circling now that he’s proven his form at the top level again.
As per TalkSport, Marseille value Greenwood at £60 million so United could be entitled to about £17 million due to it being 50% of the profit made on an initial £26 million sale. (£34 million being the profit).
With Greenwood’s book value now zero, that amount will theoretically allow them to spend about £85 million on a player on a five-year contract.
Greenwood not the only masterstroke
United took a hammer to the fringes of the squad last summer but didn’t do so recklessly because Greenwood is not the only one with a sell-on clause.
Donny van de Beek left for Girona for a nominal amount but there’s a sell-on involved, just like it is with Facundo Pellistri’s move to Panathinaikos.
The same goes for the sale of Willy Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez, and Hannibal, with United potentially set to benefit from Fernandez’s one in particular soon.
It is a far cry from days when United held on to players for much longer than they club needed to, leading them to sell at their lowest having bought at a premium.
Ineos deserve credit for this masterstroke in particular which looks like a no-brainer now but wasn’t a regular occurrence under the previous regime.
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