Erik ten Hag was full of compliments for the departing Facundo Pellistri (Picture: Getty)
Erik ten Hag was full of compliments for the ‘talented’ Facundo Pellistri but conceded the departing Manchester United winger would have struggled to get regular minutes this season.
Pellistri’s move to Greek side Panathinaikos was confirmed earlier in the week in a deal worth £6.8m, bringing to a close the winger’s four-year spell at Old Trafford.
The Uruguayan arrived from Club Atlético Peñarol back in 2020 but failed to force his way into the first-team picture, making just 25 appearances for the Red Devils and failing to register a single goal.
Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford started out wide for United in their opening Premier League fixture against Fulham, with Alejandro Garnacho and Antony both also on the bench.
And it was that competition for places that ultimately led to the decision to sell Pellistri, United boss Ten Hag confirmed at his press conference on Thursday.
‘He’s a very talented player, progressed very good last year, but we have a lot of competition in wide areas,’ the Dutchman said of the departing 22-year-old.
‘We look at what we need as a squad but every player needs a perspective and in this moment we had many players to compete in these positions.
Pellistri made a substitute appearance in the Community Shield earlier in the month (Picture: Getty)
‘We couldn’t give him the right perspective but he has high potential and he needs games to improve and progress. He gets the opportunity at Panathinaikos.’
Another winger who could yet depart the club before the end of the window is Jadon Sancho, with Chelsea and Barcelona among the rumoured clubs interested.
The winger was seemingly brought back into the fold over the summer after a public falling out with Ten Hag last season, but the Dutchman was coy when asked if Sancho would remain at the club beyond the end of the window.
‘We will see. We have a squad, I hope we will have a squad with double positioning and when we go into the season after September 1, that means you can’t select all the players but you need them all throughout the season,’ he said.
‘We have to manage it, the attitude of the players is very important, sometimes they will be disappointed they have to deal with it, you win as a squad.
‘The prizes are decided next May and until then we need all the players in the squad and highly motivated, that is not an expectation, that is a demand on the squad.’
United travel to face Brighton on Saturday as they look to maintain their perfect start to the league campaign.
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