Facundo Pellistri arrived at Manchester United on transfer deadline day as a relatively unknown signing.
The 18-year-old has only been playing at the professional level a little over a year, featuring 37 times for Uruguayan side Penarol.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been quick to urge caution over the expectations on the teenager, claiming he is ‘one for the future’. However, any new name coming through the doors at Old Trafford will spark excitement amongst fans.
Pellistri is highly regarded in South America, and former United striker Diego Forlan has recently been talking up the player. The latter played an influential role in United signing the youngster, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer asking for his opinion.
Forlan is the current manager of Penarol, Pellistri’s now-former club, and he has claimed (via South China Morning Post) that the Red Devils have a star on their hands: “There was a lot of interest in the player and I could understand why. He’s very quick and goes past players easily. He was doing that even when it was not a good moment for the team.
“He likes receiving the ball in midfield and moving forward with it. Even though he was young, I put him in my team every week.”
The Uruguayan enjoys running with the ball at his feet, and the attacking intent he likes to showcase will hopefully inject some new life into the United squad.
Forlan continued to say: “He can play on the right but also the left. He’s two-footed like I was and he tries to dribble like Ryan Giggs.”
Should Pellistri even achieve half of what the Welshman did in red, he will no doubt be regarded as a success.
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