Man U teenager Pellistri unveiled by La liga side Alaves

 

Manchester United teenager Facundo Pellistri claimed Lionel Messi is his biggest influence as he was unveiled by Alaves on Monday.

The 19-year-old Uruguayan completed a loan move to the Spanish side until the end of the season during the January transfer window.

Having only joined the club last October, he has been earmarked as one for the future by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he continues his development away from the Old Trafford spotlight.

And as the teenager showed off his new blue and white colours, he listed Messi ahead of the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in his list of footballing heroes.

He said, via El Pais, that ‘each player is different’ but that he likes Messi’s style of play more than his PSG rivals, and that he tries to copy the best of each one.

And he insists he is not afraid of competition for places as he eyes a debut against Barcelona on Saturday after he was left on the bench for the weekend victory over Valladolid.

‘When you play, you grow and I look for that path,’ he said.

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‘It is healthy, it helps and the further it is, the better level there will be.’

Alaves president Alfonso Fernandez de Troconiz told Sportsmail last week that they are the ‘ideal’ place for Pellistri to kick-start his career in Europe.

‘We have full confidence in him and this is why we really fought to get him in on loan,’ Troconiz said .