The bargain solution to Man Utd's €200m problem
Tom Weber
- 18 Nov 2023 05:59 CST
- 3 min read
Despite spending north of €200 million on right-wingers in recent years, Manchester United have a significant problem in that position.
It is an indictment of the state of the Red Devils and their transfer business that nobody has managed to convincingly nail down a spot out on the right flank, neither at right wing nor even at right-back.
Antony and Jadon Sancho were signed as established stars, combing for a whopping €180m outlay, yet neither has managed to live up to the billing, with the former looking like one of the biggest flops in Premier League history - in addition to domestic abuse allegations - and the latter currently being literally exiled from the first team.
READ: Fresh Sancho problem looms for Man Utd
Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri, meanwhile, were brought in as options for the future, but neither has significantly featured in the senior squad. The immense progress Diallo made on loan at Sunderland last term has been undone by a serious injury suffered in pre-season that has sidelined him since.
Pellistri is a regular fixture for his country Uruguay, but rarely gets a chance to star for the Red Devils. It might be time to change that, argues Richard Fay of the Manchester Evening News.
Pellistri the solution?
Ironically, out of the more than €200m spent, Pellistri was the cheapest signing, being brought in from Penarol for just €8.5m. Earlier this week, Pellistri helped Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay defeat Lionel Messi and reigning world champions Argentina.
To date, Pellistri has made 17 appearances for Uruguay's senior side, the same amount of fixtures he has featured in for the Red Devils, illustrating that he is not trusted by Ten Hag. Yet he should be, argues Fay.
READ: 'Not scoring, not assisting' - Man Utd legend slams Mason Mount
Pellistri shone in his cameo against Fulham and starred against Argentina. The youngster deserves a chance for United given their lack of reliable options on the right. A consistent run in the team could do wonders for his development - and Man Utd.
