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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Casey Evans

Facundo Pellistri has given Man United boss Erik ten Hag a boost he won't have been expecting

Facundo Pellistri's loan spells with Alaves have been pretty disappointing. He returned to the La Liga side this season after a temporary move there last term, but he has only played 665 minutes and has started just six times.

With Alaves finishing bottom of the table and Pellistri's bid for regular first-team football blocked by 32-year-old Edgar Mendez, many would assume that even considering Pellistri as ready to make an impact at Manchester United would be incredibly optimistic. But when he plays for Uruguay it seems absurd to think that he's not a first-team regular already.

For his national team, Pellistri is an unstoppable force down the right wing. He is surprisingly physical for a player of his size and he has great ability on the ball.

READ MORE: Manchester United might need another two exits to complete midfield reset

Pellistri provided a fantastic assist for Edinson Cavani in Uruguay's 3-0 win over Mexico on Friday, beating a number of defenders before providing a great cross which found the striker in the box. A clip of the goal was shared on social media and plenty of United liked what they saw.

United need a plethora of signings this summer, but it is unlikely they will be able to address all their issues in one window. This will leave Erik ten Hag needing to look at his existing squad for solutions.

Right wing is one of the positions that need strengthening and with Amad and Pellistri coming back from their respective loans at Rangers and Alaves, pre-season may present an opportunity for both youngsters to stake a claim for a place in the first team. Both are incredibly talented wingers who could develop massively under Ten Hag given his track record at Ajax, and it would seem a waste to send them back out on loan just to get limited minutes.

Pellistri offers a completely different option to United's other wingers. Whereas the likes of Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho like to cut in and move inside to try and get into goal scoring positions, the Uruguayan seems like more of a creator who always looks to get to the byline before crossing for the striker.

There are limited options in the transfer market when looking for right wingers and the likes of Antony and Raphinha - who United fans have suggested the club should target - will come with a hefty price tag. It seems with talented wingers already at the club who can be nurtured and developed, money would be better spent on other areas of the squad.

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