Erik ten Hag will sanction Facundo Pellistri leaving Manchester United on a loan deal – but the Uruguayan winger has a future at Old Trafford.
Pellistri has been on United’s books for two-and-a-half years after joining the Red Devils from Penarol but only made his first-team debut last month in January, during the EFL Cup victory over Charlton.
United boss Ten Hag came good on his promise of more games for the winger. His debut was followed by substitute appearances in cup clashes against Reading and Nottingham Forest, alongside a Premier League debut against Leeds. This week, he featured against Real Betis and Southampton.
"I see a future in him," Ten Hag explained after Pellistri’s debut in the win over Charlton last month. "He is doing really well and we have to see what is the best [for him]. He is progressing. Against Everton [in a behind-closed-doors friendly], I was really happy with his performance.
"I was happy with his performance at the World Cup so his progress is really good and now he is coming on and has an effect. So that's the next step that I say: 'well done Pelli, keep going'."
In a separate interview, the manager said: "I mentioned already Pellistri came on and it was a debut. It was not long but he was really lively, some good actions and also the assist on the second goal."
Have Your Say! Does Pellistri have a long-term future at Man Utd? Tell us what you think here.
However, the 21-year-old has remained on the fringes of the Old Trafford squad with the re-emergence of Jadon Sancho in recent weeks further pushing the Uruguayan down the pecking order.
A report in the Manchester Evening News now outlines that United plan to loan out the Uruguayan once more for him to obtain more first-team minutes, but are not open to a permanent sale due to excitement over his future. The club are adapting the same stance over Anthony Elanga.
Pellistri previously spent 18 months on loan at Spanish club Alaves, where he made 35 appearances without finding the net. However, he did impress for Uruguay at the World Cup – featuring in all three of their group-stage matches and starting twice.
Pellistri’s international teammate Ronald Araujo – a defender with Barcelona – has already spoken about the winger’s “spectacular” level that came as a surprise to other players in the Uruguay camp.
Araujo told El Pais, as per Somos Invictus, back in September: “I think Facundo Pellistri is surprising. Obviously, we know the quality that Fede Valverde, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, Darwin [Nunez] have… we all know the quality they have. But Facundo Pellestri surprised me quite a bit.
“Especially since he hadn’t been playing. And more because of the level that he gave in the national team, that he was spectacular. Besides, we understood each other very well on the right wing. Facundo was the one who surprised me the most, yes.”
