The reality is that people probably don't know that much about Facundo Pellistri. To many, it will be an unfamiliar name.
That's understandable in many regards. Since joining Manchester United in the summer of 2020 as a possible right-wing alternative to Jadon Sancho after the club missed out on the then-Borussia Dortmund man's signature, Pellistri still hasn't appeared in a competitive match for the United first team and has spent one-and-a-half seasons out on loan.
It's a shame in many ways that his United career is yet to reach lift-off.
A couple of months after he joined United, I bumped into Pellistri outside Old Trafford; he was visiting the megastore with a number of family members, all of whom were purchasing United shirts.
He gladly accepted my request for a photograph. Along with his family, he was an 18-year-old boy living the dream of playing for one of the world's most prestigious clubs.
But why hasn't Pellistri appeared for United's first team after over two years with the club?
Across two pre-seasons, he has shown promise to suggest he may be a prospect capable of stepping up to become a feature of the first team. Adding to that, evidence of his talent has been exemplified by the fact that he has continually been named in senior Uruguayan national squads since his maiden call-up and appearance in January this year.
Last Thursday, he started Uruguay's opening match of the Qatar World Cup against South Korea - all before he has made a senior appearance for United.
He has never appeared out of place featuring for Uruguay. On the biggest stage of all, he proved a figure of invention in a Uruguay side that disappointed comparative to their predicted dark horse status. Pellistri's two chances created was the joint-highest total among his Uruguay team-mates, while he engineered his nation's only big chance of the encounter.
His involvement, signified by 31 touches, was comparative to the renowned name of Darwin Nunez's tally of 34 on the opposite flank. Meanwhile, amid a fairly passive Uruguay showing, Pellistri's game-high four attempted dribbles signalled positivity and intent.
However, losing possession 12 times and failing to complete any of his four registered dribbles, it was made evident that Pellistri's game still has scope for some refinement.
Albeit any improvements required are understandable given his youthfulness and relative inexperience at the highest level.
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Pellistri's showing against South Korea was enough to keep him on the pitch for 88 minutes, though he did lose his starting berth against Portugal as manager Diego Alonso opted for a systematic switch to a five-man defence.
Once Uruguay fell behind shortly after half-time at the Lusail Stadium, however, Alonso turned to Pellistri. Introduced just after the hour mark, the United man had a measurable impact on proceedings.
His directness troubled the Portugal defence, with Pellistri showing a willingness to take players on, in hand forcing the opposition into some clumsy actions including once fouling him in a relatively promising position.
A traditional winger in style, he held width well on the right flank in order to stretch the game. He proved sprightly in terms of his general movement and nimble on the ball, displaying moments of intricacy and close control.
Desire and intent proved watchwords again. He showed purpose to get himself into crossing positions, then proving his technical ability through his delivery. His endeavour off the ball was affirmed too, with three ball recoveries adding to one tackle and three recoveries against South Korea. He is certainly a tenacious figure.
There were, again, aspects that could be developed. He was somewhat overzealous on occasion, once running the ball out of play when trying to find space to deliver a cross. He lost possession six times after his introduction, but such wastefulness can at least be mitigated by the fact that he displays positivity in terms of at least attempting to take players on.
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United will not have signed Pellistri for a fee of €8.5 million from Uruguayan side Penarol without having carried out their due diligence. It has to be remembered that Pellistri signed as an 18-year-old, and it is understandable that, still only 20 years old, his game may remain raw in some respects having made the switch from South America.
His output for Penarol was nothing spectacular, it must be said. Reasonably caveated by his very tender age, he only scored one goal - as a 17-year-old - across his time at the club, never registering an assist.
His first season in 2019 saw him make 15 appearances, starting 10 times and playing the equivalent of almost 11 full 90 minutes. This was slightly reduced the following season due to his summer move to United; in 8 starts across 11 outings, he amassed eight full 90s' worth of minutes.
There is not really a definitive answer as to whether United may have moved too soon.
There was nothing standout in terms of his goal contributions in the Uruguayan league for a side near the top of the table, but football is more than just goals and assists. Surely call-ups for the Uruguayan national team and the fact that United moved to acquire him are evidence of his inherent quality.
However, it is fair to suggest Pellistri's two loan switches to La Liga with Alaves did not prove much more in terms of positives.
His first temporary move to Spain came in the second half of the 2020/21 season. But it was tough for Pellistri - a young player having to integrate into another new side in another new country amid the pandemic continuing. He played 12 times but only started on five occasions with his minutes equating to only six full 90s.
He did enough to warrant a return to Alaves though. He spent the entirety of the 2021/22 term with the Spanish outfit, but he again struggled for regular football, starting only six times despite 21 appearances overall. His total minutes were only equal to seven-and-a-half completed matches.
Across both stints at Alaves, he didn't manage a single goal or assist.
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It is easy to immediately look at the struggles as a reflection on the player. But there are other circumstances that acted as inhibitions for Pellistri at Alaves.
In his first spell, the club only managed to end the season 16th-place in La Liga. It begs the question as to whether United should really have sent him back there given they were then relegated after a torrid subsequent season - Pellistri's second stint at the club. It is incredibly hard for a young player to stand out at a struggling side with a faltering attack like Alaves'.
While Pellistri's lack of influence on the goal contributions front correlated with lapses in such a department at Penarol, his fragmented minutes at Alaves equally correlate with his floundering output.
There remained signs amid the underlying numbers that Pellistri was at least trying to be a bright spark in an uninspiring outfit. His involvement was limited - as any attacker would be in a side fighting near the bottom of the league. But there is evidence that he was providing positivity, with a reasonable quantity of dribbles attempted with a laudable success rate.
Additionally, his tenacity in the face of adversity was evidenced by a strong defensive output by way of tackles and recoveries, further emphasising his keenness to put in work off the ball. That's certainly something Erik ten Hag will admire.
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A dynamic, direct, tenacious wide player, it is slightly confusing that Pellistri's involvement for United has not gone beyond being an unused substitute, especially under Ten Hag when the likes of Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho have been given opportunities.
Pellistri has had two really promising pre-seasons at the club. In the summer of 2021, he scored against Derby County after showing composure to round the opposing goalkeeper. Then, this summer, a goal in the pre-season rout against Liverpool following a fast, incisive attack with Amad Diallo further exhibited Pellistri's vast potential.
But, after each pre-season campaign, the first instinct has been to send him back out on loan. This time around, plans of a temporary move were scuppered by an ankle injury sustained in the final pre-season match against Atletico Madrid.
Since returning from injury, Pellistri has been named on the bench eight times but is yet to feature for United in a competitive match at senior level. His only club appearance this season has come in the EFL Trophy away to Barrow AFC when he featured for 66 minutes as United's under-21s beat the League Two side by a narrow 2-1 scoreline.
That is some contrast to playing at the World Cup against Portugal.
Again, this is why it is strange that Pellistri has never been given a look in at United. He looked by no means out of his depth against one of the favourites to win the World Cup for a side tipped to be a strong outfit in the tournament.
Often, loan moves are sought after due to players lacking the physicality to feature in English football. A loan move to Spain won't have been a remedy for that, thus it must have been a ploy to get Pellistri first team experience. Any further loan move - reportedly likely in January - has to be to a club in England in order to allow Pellistri to adapt if he is to ever make it as a regular at United.
There is no concern that his mentality is an issue - he has a clear drive to succeed. ESPN have reported that he does extra gym work and even requests coaches to put on additional coaching sessions to help his development.
It has also been documented that Pellistri spent a week sleeping at Penarol's training ground in order to ensure his move to United was completed.
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There is no doubting that Pellistri is a good character that appears well-liked among the squad. And, in addition to that, he is beginning to quell concerns raised after underwhelming spells with struggling Alaves with performances on the biggest stage at the Qatar World Cup.
A loan move is probable, but who is to say he can't break into the United side if Uruguay progress deeper into the tournament and Pellistri continues to impress?
It has often felt as though United have suffered with a dearth of right-wingers, especially with Ten Hag viewing Jadon Sancho as a left-sided attacker. While Pellistri doesn't fit in the desired profile as a left-footed right-winger, he is an energetic, dynamic attacker that could be a viable option for Ten Hag amid a continually congested schedule.
A breakthrough into the United side remains merely a prospect at present. But it is by no means a prospect that has to be rendered far-fetched.
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