Facundo Pellistri made his presence felt in the second half of Man Utd’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United duo Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes heaped praise on team-mate Facundo Pellistri after he impressed in Wednesday night’s 3-0 Carabao Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The Uruguayan, who joined United from Penarol in October 2020, came off the bench with just under 20 minutes left on the clock to replace Antony. It was only his second appearance for United, with his previous appearance coming in the Carabao Cup final against Charlton Athletic.
Supporters had called on manager Erik ten Hag to give Pellistri a chance to prove his worth, as his only previous appearances for the club had been in the season’s friendlies. He spent last season on loan at Spanish side Alaves and failed to make a significant impact.
However, Pellistri has shown signs of life in his two cameo appearances this month. He provided an assist in the 3-0 win over Charlton and played a key role in Fernandes’ strike in the 3-0 win over Forest. The Ten Hag praised his impact against the City Ground outfit and have since confirmed their plans to keep him at the club after Tuesday’s transfer window.
Speaking after Forest’s win, Ten Hag said: “We’ve seen the physicality, he’s had good movement, good runs in behind, he’s got speed. So he’s got to bring that to our game.
“I think he’s a player who can play really well between the lines because he can be on the ball he has to bring our game. A bit different, like Left-footed right winger we have with Antony and he’s right-footed and his good chance was his cross Wout to Weghorst.”
As well as impressing against his manager Forest, Pellistri also received praise from his teammates, particularly Fernandes, who sent his team-mate a complementary four-word message in response to the former’s Instagram post.
Fernandes wrote: “Once again, very good.”
Martinez also praised Pellistri: “Uruguay is great.”
Both players signed their posts with a clapping emoji. Pellistri’s goal is to earn more minutes as the season progresses, especially as the Reds try to cope with the number of games.
They still compete in four different competitions, meaning the Ten Hag can rotate their pack a bit if they want to against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday night. Pellistri will no doubt be eyeing the match as an opportunity to earn his full debut.
Borussia Dortmund inform about Jude Bellingham’s future due to transfer interest from Manchester United
Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham continues to be admired by Man United figures.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has confirmed that the German heavyweights have yet to receive any requests for midfielder Jude Bellingham amid Manchester United’s interest in his signature.
Having enjoyed a fruitful World Cup with England in Qatar late last year, Bellingham is one of the hottest properties in world football, with many European heavyweights lining up to try and secure his signature. The midfielder is expected to leave Dortmund this coming summer, three years after joining the club from Birmingham City.
United, who are planning to sign the younger midfielder in the summer as reported by the Manchester Evening News last month, refused to rule out making another attempt to lure the 19-year-old to Old Trafford. Bellingham, who scored once at the World Cup, visited Carrington with his parents in March 2020 as the Reds attempted to win the race for his signature ahead of his move to Germany.
United are not considered to be among the frontrunners to sign Bellingham, with the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid recognized as the most likely winners in the race to sign him. However, the Reds are refusing to give up on the former Birmingham man, with manager Erik ten Hag understood to have told the faithful that if he could sign any player in the world, it would be him.
However, Dortmund have yet to receive any official requests despite preparing for bids ahead of the summer.
“From a sporting point of view, I would be more than happy if the boy stayed and stayed at Borussia Dortmund for a long time,” said Kehl. “However, I caaaaaaaaannot predict how the topic will develop in a few months.
At the moment, there is no talk about him.
Bellingham has become such an influential figure for Dortmund that he has already shouldered the responsibility of being captain. He has played 23 games in all competitions this season, scoring ten goals and registering four assists.
Kehl continued: “If you saw him last weekend with the focus and the passion he has on the pitch, you’d see he’s invaluable to us at the moment.”