Edinson Cavani has given his verdict on his new Manchester United teammate and countryman Facundo Pellistri.
Edinson Cavani said “Pellistri is a young lad and I really love the way he plays the game. He’s the typical South American footballer who has that mischievous nature to his game, and the way he lives his football is a bit like, as we say in Uruguay, being on el campito, as we call it, a makeshift pitch where you have a kickabout for fun with your mates or whoever. He’s a youngster who has a lot to learn but who has a lot to offer too. He’s already shown what he can do at Peñarol, in the games where he’s featured. I’ve liked him from the moment he made his first-team debut at Peñarol, I liked him a lot. He’s coming here to the club, without a doubt determined to learn and mature as a player, but also to make a good contribution here himself. Learning his trade here is also going to be a great experience for him. So it’s going to be good meeting up with him and travelling together on this journey in this new chapter for us both.”
Cavani, 33, was United’s marquee signing on deadline day, joining on a free transfer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds also added Pellistri to their squad after agreeing a £10million deal with Uruguayan side Penarol, formerly managed by Diego Forlan. Penarol requested to keep Pellistri on loan until January but that proposal was rejected by United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer plans to use the 18-year-old in his first-team squad. The youngster was named in United’s squad for the group stages of the Champions League. Pellistri is yet to make his senior debut for Uruguay while Cavani is a seasoned veteran at international level but the 33-year-old has been closely following his development and expects him to have a big impact at Old Trafford.