It seems that the pressure to play at Old Trafford is not small for many players.
Facundo Pellistri has just had a ‘spectacular’ performance for Uruguay in the Copa America group stage. In Uruguay’s 5-0 win over Bolivia, Pellistri was truly one of the most outstanding players.
The 22-year-old Manchester United winger – who spent the second half of last season on loan with Granada – scored and assisted. Uruguayan newspaper El Observator awarded him a score of 9/10.
On his personal page, Pellistri shared: “A beautiful night with a great atmosphere, thank you! Go Uruguay, one step closer to the set goal”.
Pellistri’s impressive displays for La Celeste have certainly attracted the attention of clubs across Europe, with the right-winger looking set to leave Old Trafford this summer.
His agent has confirmed interest from Greek club Panathinaikos and Spanish side Real Valladolid.
Although his contract will expire in 2025, Man United has the option to extend it for another year. That means Pellistri has at least two years left at Old Trafford so the value will not be affected.
However, Pellistri’s good play created a strange trend at Man Utd . This player is rarely used at Old Trafford, but often plays an important role for the national team. In recent years, Pellistri has played quite well every time he joined the team.
However, this young player has no chance with Man Utd. The team’s management is ready to sell him if they receive a reasonable offer. Pellistri’s case is similar to Jadon Sancho.
Last September, the relationship between coach Erik ten Hag and Sancho broke down, leading to a breakup between the two sides during the January 2024 transfer window.
Coach Ten Hag was unhappy with his player’s training attitude, so he removed Sancho from the squad during Arsenal’s away trip to Emirates Stadium. As for Sancho, the English player affirmed his innocence. After moving to Dortmund, Sancho played quite well and helped the Ruhr team win second place in the Champions League.
Or most recently, the case of Marcel Sabitzer. He was considered a bad signing under Erik Ten Hag.
In early 2023, Bayern loaned Sabitzer to Man Utd until the end of the season. Ten Hag only used Sabitzer in 11 Premier League matches without scoring a goal. At the end of that season, the Red Devils sent Sabitzer back to Germany and last season, Sabitzer and Sancho helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final.
Even Ralf Rangnick is an odd case. During his half-year as interim coach, Rangnick was criticized for being an incompetent coach and not knowing how to coach. Yet, he is helping Austria fly high at EURO 2024.
There are certainly plenty of people who have left Man Utd and done well elsewhere. It seems Old Trafford is not the ideal environment for players or managers to flourish in their careers. The new owners have a duty to change this trend.
