Up until the final day of the summer transfer window, Manchester United had only one player officially signed, sealed and delivered. That led to a flurry of activity on deadline day, with the announcements and unveilings of left back Alex Telles, striker Edinson Cavani and young right winger Amad Traore (for arrival in January).
With the club not finishing their homework until the final bell, there was a flurry of activity in the closing hours, and with that, one more acquisition flew far below the radar- Facundo Pellistri.
?? Another Uruguayan arrives at Old Trafford…
?? Welcome to #MUFC, Facundo Pellistri!
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 5, 2020
The 18-year-old prodigy arrives from Atletico Penarol, in the Uruguay Primera Division. Reportedly, the transfer fee was about $11 million.
He arrives on a five year deal, and is expected to train with the youth team at first, but could find himself promoted to the senior squad before long. Having Cavani, his fellow countryman, around will certainly help with the transition to Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said via the club website:
“Our scouts have followed Facundo for a long time and we believe that he will be a real talent for the long term. Whilst we understand it will take time for him to adapt to the English game, he is capable of having an impact with his pace and ability to beat his opponent.
“Facundo has the perfect platform at Manchester United to develop and he has all of the technical qualities and the right mentality required to become a top player here. We are all looking forward to working with him to fulfil his potential over the coming years.”
Maybe Facundo Pellistri will be the Next Big Thing; or maybe Traore will be, but that is a big ask and it requires a long leap of faith. When all is said and done, United did not sign a single new senior right sided attacking player, nor a central defender.
Those were the #1 and #2 positions of need for the club and they totally whiffed on both, which is beyond the point of unacceptable.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.