There are a lot of big decisions for Erik ten Hag to make this summer as he looks to take his Manchester United rebuild to the next level.
After agreeing a deal to bring Mason Mount to the club, next up will be the task of adding a striker and a goalkeeper to his side, as well as strengthening any other areas they can afford to.
This is always easier said than done, and a key component of this summer's transfer activity will be the players they manage to sell and those they loan out.
With so many variables at play, Ten Hag is in an unenviable position, though one of his decisions might have been made a lot easier due to an upcoming change in Premier League rules.
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It looks like it could be another important summer for Facundo Pellistri, but no matter how well he does on the upcoming US Tour, he might not be able to change what happens next. Ten Hag is a big fan of the 21-year-old, and it is understood United are in talks over an improved long-term contract for him, though that does not mean he will get a chance next season.
United received loan offers from Serie A and La Liga for him during the January window but turned them down in order to oversee his development themselves. This summer, it would make a lot more sense to allow the Uruguayan international to leave on loan again and gain some valuable experience in senior football.
There have been changes to Premier League squad registration rules ahead of the new season that could influence United's decision on Pellistri in particular.
Under previous rules, he would have qualified as an under-21 player for another season, meaning he would not need to be registered for the Premier League squad. However, U21 players for the 2023/24 campaign must be born on or after 1 January 2002, meaning Pellistri would have to take up one of the 25 spots for registered squad members.
Even if he had a stellar pre-season campaign, this seems like a big ask for a player who has made just 10 senior appearances for the club so far.
While it might seem obvious that Pellistri, 21, does not qualify as an U21 player, it is a quirk given that United's three other players of the same age would all still qualify in that category. Mason Greenwood, Anthony Elanga and Teden Mengi would not need to be registered in the Premier League squad to compete in that competition, as is the case with youngsters such as Amad and Alejandro Garnacho.
It means that Pellistri is at an obvious disadvantage compared with the other young forwards at the club, given he would effectively be treated as a senior player rather than a youngster.
Pellistri would have to be exceptionally good to justify one of those limited places in the first-team next season, a luxury that can't really be justified for a player who so rarely makes it onto the pitch. Talk of a new contract is further evidence of the faith Ten Hag has in him, but now the priority has to be playing every week to ensure he makes the progress required to ever have a chance at United.
Right now, he is not worth a senior squad spot; he could be next year, though.
