According to Futbol Uruguay, Manchester United suffered a delay in completing the signing of Facundo Pellistri after failing to secure a bank guarantee.
Futbol Uruguay report via the comments of Penarol president Jorge Barrera that United couldn’t obtain a bank guarantee to pay the winger’s $10m release clause over the weekend.
As a result, the deal was delayed, leaving the clubs to negotiate the fee of $10m rather than the more traditional method of the 18-year-old’s release clause being triggered.
Futbol Uruguay actually add that the bank issue caused further issues as Pellistri was owed 20% of any transfer fee if his release cause wasn’t triggered.
To help push through the transfer before the deadline, Pellistri showed his class as he waived this entitlement to instead retain 20% of any profit that United may make on him in the future.
The Red Devils officially announced the signing of Pellistri at the end of deadline day, with the promising attacker penning a five-year contract that includes the option of a further year.
With the terms of the deal eventually being hammered out, it worked out good for everyone. Pellistri got a career-changing move to Europe, Penarol still retained 100% of the sale and United still got their man.
Pellistri wasn’t the only wide man that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side recruited yesterday, with United pre-agreeing a deal to sign Amad Diallo Traore in January in a move worth up to €40m.
Pellistri, who is primarily deployed as a right-winger, made 37 appearances for Penarol’s first-team, scoring twice and chipping in with four assists.
The Athletic reported in the summer that Solskjaer got the inside track on the talent by contacting former Red Devil and then Penarol boss Diego Forlan, the talent already speaks English.
Pellistri joins the Old Trafford outfit at the same time as one of the best players to ever come from his homeland in prolific striker Edinson Cavani.
It’s great to see that all the parties involved worked together to find a fair agreement after the bank guarantee hiccup.