Pellistri Set To Join Panathinaikos
It looks like some departures from Old Trafford are a certainty. This is because Manchester United have finalised an agreement with Panathinaikos to transfer Uruguay winger Facundo Pellistri. The 23-year-old’s stint at Old Trafford is nearing its conclusion as he prepares to join the Greek side. According to reports from Greek publication Sportime, Panathinaikos have been closely monitoring Pellistri for several weeks before submitting their final offer. Notably, Pellistri was absent from the matchday squad during United’s 1-0 Premier League opener against Fulham. Jadon Sancho was another notable omission, amid ongoing transfer rumours as the deadline approaches.
Journalist Mike McGrath has revealed that Panathinaikos and United have reached an agreement on a €6 million deal for Pellistri. The Telegraph adds that Panathinaikos are working urgently to register him in time for UEFA competitions. This urgency indicates that Panathinaikos aim to finalise the transfer swiftly, with no intention of allowing the process to drag on until the transfer deadline. Further reports from Greece suggest that Panathinaikos will pay an additional £1.7 million in add-ons, and the deal might include a 30% sell-on clause. Pellistri joined the Devils in 2020 from Uruguay giants Penarol, but failed to show he could be a regular for a club like Manchester United.
Burnley Interested In Hannibal Mejbri
Following Burnley’s relegation back to the Championship, the likes of Sander Berge are still atracting interest from Premier League sides. It looks like Berge could be joining Fulham on a £25 million, after he was first reportedly linked with Man United. But the 26-year-old midfielder’s departure from Burnley could still make an impact on Man United, although on a much smaller scale. The Athletic report that Burnley are considering a move for United’s Hannibal Mejbri as a potential successor to Berge. The 21-year-old midfielder is in the final year of his contract and is struggling to find a pathway into Erik ten Hag’s squad, having not met the necessary standards. Hannibal joined United in 2019 from AS Monaco and has since graduated from the club’s academy, making 13 first-team appearances and earning 27 caps for the Tunisia national team.
Unfortunately for Mejbri, his loan spell at Sevilla last season did not go as planned, which has diminished interest from potential suitors. Nevertheless, Hannibal has previous experience in the Championship, having played for Birmingham City, where he scored once and provided five assists in 38 appearances during his loan stint. Burnley may attempt to finalise a deal for Hannibal before their upcoming match against Sunderland on Saturday. Much of this depends on whether Fulham can complete Berge’s signing in time. For Man United, this will not be such a big difference, but they could be losing one of the players they hoped could one day grow into a player ready to challenge for the first team minutes. Hannibal is clearly not at that level and his potential departure to Championship could suit him, particularly because of the fact he would finally be going somewhere on a permanent basis.
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