MANCHESTER UNITED loanee Facundo Pellistri could finally leave Old Trafford permanently this summer, according to reports.
The Uruguayan playmaker, 22, joined the Red Devils from Penarol for £7.65million in October 2020, signing a five-year contract.
But since then he has only racked up 24 appearances for Man Utd, scoring no goals and providing two assists.
One of those assists came in a 1-0 win over Fulham in November, before he was farmed out on loan to Granada in January.
His spell in Spain – a third loan since arriving at Man Utd after two stints with Alaves – has seen him score once and assist twice in seven matches.
And according to The Mirror, he is hoping to secure a permanent transfer to Granada in the summer, despite still having one year left on his Man Utd contract.
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It comes after he was assured he would be given a spot in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side when he arrived four years ago.
Penarol secretary Evaristo Gonzalez claimed Man Utd had promised Pellistri he would go “straight into the first team”.
Instead, it took him more than two years to make his debut for the club – and he has never been given a consistent run in the team.
Yet ahead of the 2022/23 season, he insisted he wanted to remain a Man Utd player while earning experience on loan elsewhere.
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He said: “I want to have the maximum continuity of minutes to try to arrive well.
“I’m not looking for a particular league. It’s easy to say ‘earn minutes’ because nobody promises them to you, and you have to earn them.
“It’s a complicated search, but I’m going to try to find the best option to play, show myself and feel good.”
Since then, he now appears more interested in a permanent transfer away from Man Utd.
And in February his agent, Edgardo Lasalvia, aimed a swipe at manager Erik ten Hag.
He said: “Whether he returns to Manchester in the middle of the year will depend on the performance he shows.
“If Ten Hag continues, it’s going to be difficult. Ten Hag hasn’t used him, valued him, or treated him like a professional.”
Pellistri, who already has 19 Uruguay caps, impressed for Granada in February when he scored and assisted in a 3-3 draw against Barcelona.
He will be seeking more performances of that ilk to secure a summer transfer away from Man Utd.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
