By Dan Coombs

Three Manchester United loan players who should be recalled in 2022

Manchester United sent a total of 14 players out on season long loan deals during the summer.

As we saw last year, loan deals have a hit and miss rate, and the club are not afraid to recall the players if their spells are not going well.

Last season four deals were ripped up in January, with Tahith Chong and James Garner sent to new clubs.

Matej Kovar and Dylan Levitt were also recalled, with the latter moving on loan to Croatian club NK Istra in February.

This season there are likely to be changes too, with a handful of loan deals not going according to plan.

Here is a look at three players who are likely to have a change of scenery in 2022…

Facundo Pellistri

Uruguayan prospect Facundo Pellistri has already heavily hinted he expects to be recalled by United in January.

Pellistri rejoined Alaves after a strong pre-season, and the Spanish club look like an ill-suited fit for Pellistri.

This season Pellistri has been used mainly as a substitute, and Alaves’ style of play and low ranking in La Liga is not giving him much of a chance.

Alaves are a side who enjoy little possession, limiting Pellistri’s opportunity to show what he is capable of.

United have a clause in Pellistri’s loan deal allowing the club to recall him if he does not play a specified number of minutes, which he is short of.

Speaking to The Guardian in early December, Pellistri said: “There’s a clause where if I don’t play a certain number of minutes, they can take me back [unliterally], and mathematically I can’t reach that even if I play every minute until January.”

United can either choose to find a new club for Pellistri or bring him back to work with new interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

Will Fish

Young defender Will Fish made his Manchester United debut at the end of last season. The club then chose to find him a loan at non-league Stockport County, so he could toughen up with regular ‘men’s football’.

The loan for the England youth international has not worked out well at all so far for the youngster.

Between August and December, Fish was given just one appearance, before finally being recalled at the start of this month.

If United choose to send Teden Mengi out on loan, which is in his best interests, then there will be a spot in the under-23s waiting for Fish in the academy, who one way or another, just needs to play football.

D’Mani Mellor

United rushed into securing D’Mani Mellor a loan move to Salford City in late August after his successful recovery from an ACL tear in 2020.

Mellor played just one minute for Salford in his opening three months, and had to return in early December for United’s under-23s to get some game time.

The young striker does not have much chance of making it at United. At 21, he needs another loan move where he can start impressing clubs to earn a future move. He will probably cut the Salford loan move short and find a different club who can offer him regular opportunities in the second half of the season.

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Dan Coombs

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