Man Utd's 'next Ryan Giggs' shipped out on loan after falling out of favour
Highly-rated Manchester United youngster Facundo Pellistri is off on loan to Spain having struggled to get first team minutes under Erik ten Hag this season
Fading Manchester United starlet Facundo Pellistri is on the verge of leaving the club on loan after falling out of favour with Erik ten Hag.
The 22-year-old was once dubbed the next Ryan Giggs, but has struggled for regular football amid the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho and the arrival of Antony. He made his debut for the club last year, and although he's been a regular fixture in United's match-day squads this season, the vast majority of his appearances have come from the bench.
As such, Pellistri has been pushing for a move away and according to The Athletic, the Uruguayan is in Spain ahead of a proposed loan move to Granada. It's understood the deal, which runs until the end of the season, does not include an option to buy and United will covering part of his wages.
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Pellistri joined the Red Devils back in 2020 from Uruguayan outfit Penarol in a deal worth £9million. Former United striker Diego Forlan, who was managing Penarol at the time, referred Pellistri to ex-team-mate, and then United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, likening the youngster to Ryan Giggs.
When he arrived at Old Trafford, Pellistri spent a few months with the U21s before being loaned out to La Liga club Alaves in January 2021. There, he got his first taste of regular senior football, and was loaned to Alaves again the following season, this time for the entire campaign.
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He returned to United in 2022, just after Ten Hag had taken the reins, but didn't make his debut until January 2023, when he came on as a substitute against Charlton in the EFL Cup. He made his Premier League debut a month later, but ended the campaign with just four league appearances to his name.
This season, he's played 14 times in all competitions, but has made just one start in the Premier League. Game-time will presumably come a little easier at Granada, though he'll have his work cut out for him as soon as he arrives, with the south coast club struggling in 19th place having won just two of their 22 league games so far.