Dropping nearly £4m on a 22-year-old international from a two-time World Cup winner does not seem like a transfer coup.
However, Manchester United are likely to be happy with the overall package they have put together around the transfer of Facundo Pellistri to Greek giants Panathinaikos.
The Uruguayan midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Peñarol in his homeland for £9m in October 2020, when he signed a five-year contract.
Despite high hopes among fans that he would make a breakthrough alongside fellow South American Alejandro Garnacho, Pellistri never quite lived up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Only four of his 25 appearances for United have been starts, although one of those was an action-packed Champions League debut away to Bayern Munich last season.
Pellistri continued to burnish his reputation during loan spells in LaLiga with Alavés and Granada and has become an integral part of Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay national team.
A substitute outing during the Community Shield against Manchester City earlier this month proved to be his last for the Red Devils and Panathinaikos have now signed Pellistri for an initial fee of €6m (£5.1m/$6.6m), with a further €2m (£1.7m/$2.2m) possible in add-ons.
However, according to reports from the Manchester Evening News and BBC SportsUnited have a three-year buy-back clause and will be entitled to 45% of any fee if Panathinaikos sell the player.
The story of Pellistri’s United could therefore have another chapter.
