Solskjaer confirms Man Utd U-turn over ‘first team’ signing
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Facundo Pellistri will drop down to the reserves despite his former club selling him on the proviso he would go “straight to the first team”.
The 18-year-old was signed from Penarol on transfer deadline day, made the bench for the Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, but is yet to make his debut for the club.
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Edinson Cavani has confessed his “love” for his fellow South American, but Solskjaer claims the teenager is not ready for first-team action.
“He’s a young boy coming over and it’s all new for him,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told ManUtd.com.
“He’ll need a few games in the Reserves, of course, to try to find his feet in a new country.
“It’s been very positive so far and he’s someone we’ll be patient with and we’ll give him time to settle in and get used to us. You’ll see him in the Reserves, probably in the next game.”
It’s a decision that’s sure to anger Penarol, who were ensured Pellistri would immediately part of United’s first team plans after the Red Devils refused to agree to the youngster returning to the club on loan for the season.
“Pellistri is going straight to the first team. He’s going to play,” said Penarol secretary Evaristo Gonzalez
“During negotiations they asked me if I could guarantee that he was in the bubble because they need him.
“Then it will be a matter of whether the manager uses him.”
Penarol’s vice-president Rodolfo Cantino added: “Everything was agreed, even the form of payment. There are two payments, one now and the other in July 2021, which we accept because Manchester United are a top club.
“Of course we asked for it [to keep Pellistri on loan], we tried in every way but they argued that they wanted the player now. It’s normal, when a European club buys a player, they go there immediately.”
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There are no Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City representatives in our rundown of the top ten players of the season. Nor Manchester United, of course, but Jay Rodriguez gets in?!