Facundo Pellistri is showing why his disappointing loan spell at La Liga strugglers Alaves can be ignored.
The winger started his third straight game for Uruguay last week, and they have won them all by a combined score of 6-1.
Pellistri’s surprise integration into the Uruguay side has coincided with their best form during qualification, and sealed their spot at Qatar 2022.
The 20-year-old has one assist and has won one penalty during this run, and he was picked out as one of Uruguay’s best players against Peru.
A player United can use
When United’s next manager takes over in the summer, he will be pleased to get the chance to work with, and assess Pellistri.
The winger is a bright young talent who is set to head to and possibly start at World Cup 2022. He would now be worth a lot more than the £9 million United paid for him in 2020, and he hasn’t even started a game for the club.
The success he has enjoyed with Uruguay suggests he could adapt to the Premier League if given the opportunity. That means a proper chance, not like the 10 minutes per game he gets for struggling Alaves.
Pellistri has an interesting skill set, possessing the off ball work rate of Dan James, with far better technical quality, superior close control, dribbling and passing.
In seven under-23 matches for United he provided three assists and scored once, and also netted in pre-season.
United’s next manager’s task is to build a winning system, and that doesn’t necessarily mean star names.
Pellistri has shown an ability to fit seamlessly into Uruguay’s tactics, and he could be a player who the new manager becomes particularly eager to work with.
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