Man Utd youngster Pellistri joins Alaves on loan

Emmet Gates

• Updated: 19 May 2021 12:54 BST
• 2 min read

Manchester United youngster Facundo Pellistri has joined La Liga outfit Alaves on loan for the remainder of the season.

It was widely expected that the 19-year-old would leave Old Trafford on a temporary basis, in order to gain first team experience.

Pellistri signed for the club in the final week of the previous transfer window from Uruguayan side Penarol, for a fee in the region of £9 million, but has yet to play for the senior side.

He has played in two EFL Trophy games for United Under-21s, scoring once.

A loan move has been in the works for several weeks, and United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer commented on the possibility of Pellistri leaving the club this week.

“There have been talks and quite a few clubs interested in Facundo to go out on loan and that’s maybe something we’ll let him do now he’s had a few games in the reserves and we want him to have regular football at a high level,” said Solskjaer.

“He’s had a few games in the reserves. We want him to have regular football, of course, at a high level of course.”

Boca Juniors icon Juan Roman Riquelme has labelled Pellistri as a ‘little rascal’.

“He is young and talented,” said Riquelme, who is currently working at Boca Juniors. “He hasn’t played that much but you can see he is a real rascal with the ball at his feet. And that is important.

“There aren’t many like him around, who have the courage to be so cheeky on the pitch. That is highly valuable.”

Man Utd announced the loan move on Sunday.

The Spanish side are struggling in La Liga, and are currently in the relegation zone.

Pellistri could make his debut against Real Valldolid on February 5th.