Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri has expressed a desire to return to Penarol in the future, despite an uncertain future at the Premier League club.
After being relegated on loan at Deportivo Alaves in 2022, Facundo Pellistri’s fate appears to be repeated.
During the January transfer window, the Manchester United prodigy returned to La Liga with Granada for his second tenure. However, with barely two months left, Pellistri will almost probably return to Old Trafford this summer, this time with another relegation on his record.
On the plus side, Pellistri will escape relegation from Granada unharmed. Enhanced, even.
Manchester United loanee impresses in Spain
Pellistri scored once and set up another in his debut, a thrilling 3-3 draw with Barcelona, then used his twinkle-toed wizardry to win a penalty in Saturday’s courageous 3-2 loss to Real Sociedad.
Nonetheless, his future beyond the current campaign is unknown, with Manchester United’s new Ineos executives eager to trim the fat and decrease the pay bill.
Meanwhile, Pellistri clearly feels he has unfinished business at his beloved Penarol. But, at the age of 22, and putting your mind before your heart, his prospects would undoubtedly benefit from extending his stay on this side of the Atlantic.
“I am a Penarol fan,” Pellistri tells ESPN. “I am pleased with Penarol’s present. As a fan, I always want for the best.
“When it comes to the future, I’m not the type to plan out my career in detail. But I am certain that I want to return to Penarol because of the memories I made there and because I support the club. I do not know when. But one day, I’d like to return.”
Facundo Pellistri wants Penarol to return
Pellistri made 37 appearances for Penarol, many of them under Diego Forlan, before joining Manchester United for £9 million in the summer of 2020. Diego Aguirre, a club legend, is presently the Uruguayan team’s head coach.
Aguirre was a crucial figure in Penarol’s most recent Copa Libertadores title, which occurred in 1987.
“I did not experience Diego Aguirre as a player,” Pellistri continues. “But I’ve heard the stories of my father, who witnessed the 1987 Libertadores final from the field. He has a scar on his palm from jumping over the fences at Santiago’s National Stadium to join the field!”
Pellistri struggled to get playing time under Erik ten Hag before returning to Spain, starting only one Premier League game in the first half of the season despite the absences of Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag’s agency has hinted that if he remains head coach at Ineos, he may consider a permanent departure.