Granada are confident of securing Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri on a loan deal for the remainder of the campaign.
There have been positive talks between the clubs and the player is keen although other clubs are interested in signing the 22-year-old.
Granada’s potential deal for the winger is set to be a straight loan deal without an option to make the move permanent in the summer, with United covering part of the player’s wages.
The deal is facing potential delays due to Granada’s club president Sophia Yang being in China. This has raised issues surrounding the time difference and different ways of working which has slowed down the process of completing the transfer.
Pellistri has featured in 14 matches for Erik ten Hag’s side this season but has started just one Premier League match – the September defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
The Uruguay international has previously spent two separate stints on loan at Granada’s La Liga rivals Alaves, where he made 35 appearances across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns, without scoring a goal.
Pellistri’s move to Granada coincides with full-back Alvaro Fernandez’s season-long loan spell at the Spanish club set to be cut short.
In fact, sources familiar with the case explain that Granada asked for Pellistri’s loan as soon as they knew of Fernandez’s imminent departure.
Last week, The Athletic reported that Fernandez would end his loan spell at Granada to join Portuguese club Benfica on loan.
Pellistri has held talks with Granada manager Alexander Medina, a fellow Uruguayan, and the club’s sporting director Matteo Tognozzi.
The winger joined United from Penarol at the end of the 2020 summer transfer window but has made just four starts for the club across all competitions.
Pellistri has fallen behind Alejandro Garnacho and Antony in the pecking order at Old Trafford, while Amad has also recently returned from a long-term injury layoff.
Pellistri missed the beginning of last season with an ankle injury and ended the campaign with 10 first-team appearances, having made his United debut in January.
The winger has established himself as a regular in Uruguay’s international squads, for whom he has been capped 18 times — including all three of the nation’s World Cup matches in 2022.
Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Mejbri have already left Old Trafford on loan deals this month to join Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Sevilla respectively, while Sergio Reguilon has returned to parent club Spurs.
GO DEEPER
The 10 minutes Pellistri had waited two and a half years for
(Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
