Newcastle United are one of the clubs interested in signing Penarol wonderkid Facundo Pellistri, the winger’s agent Nicolas Rotundo has said in quotes translated by El Observador.
With his mop of floppy brown hair, that explosive pace and a tricky left foot, you’d be forgiven for expecting this latest South American wonderkid to be burdened with that ‘new Lionel Messi’ tag.
In a slight change of pace, however, Pellistri is instead being compared to another left-footed Argentine superstar – Juventus number ten Paulo Dybala.
The teenage forward has really caught the eye since forcing his way into the first-team last August, earning plenty of praise from legendary figures such as Juan Roman Riquelme and Penarol coach Diego Forlan.
But it seems only a matter of time before Pellistri follows in the footsteps of another Penarol alumni, Real Madrid’s Fede Valverde, by making a life-changing move to a European giant.
Newcastle have been mentioned as a potential destination in the gossip columns (Mail) and it seems that the rumours are correct this time.
“Newcastle have spoke”, Rotundo, who also admits interest from Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and numerous MLS outfits, tells La Oral Mediodia.
“There are offers and Uruguayan teams need to sell. Hopefully, he can stay a long time in Penarol but, for the future of the player and even for a club that needs sales, he could leave.”
Rotundo was also at pains to point out that there has not been any serious bids just yet.
But with an £8million release clause in his contract, Pellistri certainly feels like an affordable risk worth taking – especially if he has the talent of a Dybala in his boots.
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