Facundo Pellistri has shown his potentials in a short time with Penarol (Getty Images)
According to The Athletic (h/t The Metro), Manchester United have targeted Penarol forward Facundo Pellistri, who is coached by a former United star Diego Forlan.
Pellistri, 18, spent times at the academies of La Picada and River Plate Montevideo before joining Penarol. The youngster made his debut for the Uruguayan outfit last September and has since gone on to earn rave reviews for his performances.
He has gone on to make 25 appearances for the Uruguayan club so far, racking up one goal and three assists. His impressive performances have also garnered attention from Real Madrid and Manchester City, as per the report.
As things stand, United are in 5th position in the league standings after the 5-2 win over Bournemouth, collecting 55 points from 33 games in the league. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed to get the best out of his players in the last few months despite a torrid start to the campaign.
The arrival of Bruno Fernandes and the return of Paul Pogba from a long absence has seen the Red Devils go from strength to strength, especially since the resumption of the games. In the last four league games, they have managed to score 12 goals while conceding just 3. Everything seems to be going in the right direction in their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
The Red Devils have a plethora of attacking talents in Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Daniel James. All of them have been in good form. However, Jesse Lingard and Tahith Chong haven’t been able to make much of an impact in their natural right-wing position.
Thus, the manager should bring in reinforcements to the squad and that would bring healthy competition within the club. Moreover, they need players for the future and bring in new faces would be a wise decision by the club.
In that regard, Penarol’s Pellistri would be a viable option for the club. The teenager has shown immense potential in a short time at the senior level with Penarol. Prior to the season getting suspended in Uruguay, he made three league appearances and managed to provide an assist.
The fact that Manchester City and Real Madrid are interested in securing his services indicates how highly he is rated. And signing him could be a good move for the future by United.
Given Solskjaer’s faith in the youth, as he has done so far, Pellistri could also get his chances at the right time if he is able to develop himself. And with time, the teenager could only get better and grow into a better player. Thus, United should manage to lure the winger to Old Trafford at the earliest.