Facundo Pellistri is reportedly desperate to seal a permanent transfer away from Manchester United in the January transfer window.
Pellistri joined United in a £7.65million transfer from Uruguayan side Penarol during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s spell in charge back in October 2020. The 20-year-old winger is still yet to make a senior appearance for the club, two years on from his arrival.
He has twice been sent out on loan to Spanish side Alaves, where he has made 35 appearances, but is currently training with Erik ten Hag’s team. Pellistri has not featured for the first team after suffering an ankle injury at the start of the campaign, which prevented him from leaving on loan once more.
Pellistri is now targeting the January transfer window as his opportunity to leave Old Trafford for good. AS reports that he doesn’t want to consider another loan spell and will instead look to cut short his United stay two and a half years before his contract is due to expire in June 2025.
Despite his lack of minutes, he was named in Uruguay’s initial 35-man squad for the Qatar World Cup recently. If he makes Diego Alonso’s full squad for the tournament, which kicks off on November 20, then he can use it as a shop window.
"I think that with a good World Cup, as we think it will have, his departure is imminent," Pellistri's agent Edgardo Lasalvia told ESPN recently. Pellistri failed to score or assist during his extended stay at Alaves, but does have a record of three goals and one assist in nine games for United’s under-21 side.
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His season has not worked out as he’d hoped, with the ankle injury slowing his development and limiting the impact he can make under Ten Hag in training. His words from the summer, during United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, show how regular football is his top priority.
"This year is very important both at club and national team level," he told Ovacion in July. "You have to be ready for everything and prepare well. I want to have the maximum continuity of minutes to try to arrive well.
"I’m not looking for a particular league. It’s easy to say ‘earn minutes’ because nobody promises them to you, and you have to earn them. It’s a complicated search, but I’m going to try to find the best option to play, show myself and feel good."
Pellistri was initially earmarked for United’s first team. "Pellistri is going straight to the first team - he’s going to play," Penarol secretary Evaristo Gonzalez said upon his transfer.
That promise has not been fulfilled and it appears as though he could leave without making an appearance.
