Facundo Pellistri wanted by Sheffield United
Meanwhile, Sheffield United are in talks over a deal for
Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri to join them in one of the most ambitious season-long loans of the Premier League summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old has been targeted for a place in Paul Heckingbottom’s squad for the campaign and the Blades have made a move for the young forward who played at the World Cup with his country last year.
Pellistri, who came off the bench in the win over Wolves last week for Erik Ten Hag’s team, will need United to sanction the move before a medical and other formalities of the deal are completed.
He could be one of the most high-profile players available on loan at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag considering carefully which players to give a move to with Premier League first-team experience in mind.
Pellistri was wanted by Watford in the Championship last season but ended up staying at United and making 10 appearances in the second half of the campaign. He has previously had two loan spells at Alaves in Spain but his latest short-term deal offers the chance of proving himself in England after arriving in 2020.
United signed him for £9 million from Penarol, where he played under former United striker Diego Forlan. Forlan has recently tipped Pellistri to get more first-team minutes after seeing his potential in their homeland. He has been part of Ten Hag’s squad in pre-season, scoring their final goal against Athletic Bilbao before the campaign started.
Heckingbottom has seen key players leave from his Championship promotion team and his only new signing to start last weekend in their opening weekend defeat to Crystal Palace was Bénie Traoré. Vinicius Souza, Anis Ben Slimane and Yasser Larouci came off the bench. They have also signed Gustavo Hamer and Tom Davies to add competition in midfield.
