Facundo Pellistri on verge of sealing La Liga loan from Manchester United

Manchester United teenager Facundo Pellistri is expected to join La Liga side Deportivo Alaves on loan before the January transfer window closes at the start of next week.

Pellistri arrived at United from Uruguayan giants Peñarol in October for around £8m. The club has been determined to give him time to settle and adapt and he has so far only played for the Under-23 squad, despite regularly training with the first-team.

When a January loan became a likely possibility, it was noted that while Pellistri is not deemed ready to be playing in the United first-team, there is a feeling he has already outgrown Under-23 level. That made it important to find him a club where he could develop at a higher level.

United are thought to have ruled out the idea of a club in the Championship because of the physical nature of the league and Spain was always billed as a likely destination because of the language.

Celta Vigo was one of the rumoured clubs, but journalist Jonathan Shrager has reported that a move to Alaves should be completed by the end of Friday.

Currently 18th in La Liga, Basque side Alaves have struggled for goals this season, scoring just 18 in 20 games, while they have lost their last four in a row. Their current top scorers, with four each, are former Premier League duo Joselu and Lucas Perez.

“We want him to have regular football, of course, at a higher level [than the reserves],” United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said when discussing Pellistri’s immediate future.

Pellistri, who turned 19 in December, has been on the United first-team bench twice this season, both times during the Champions League group stage.

He has three goals and one assist to his name from eight Under-23 appearances in Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Fans were hoping that the FA Cup third round tie against Championship side Watford might have presented an opportunity for his senior United debut. But Pellistri tested positive for coronavirus in the build up to the game and was forced to self-isolate.

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