Manchester United paid €10m to Penarol for the 18-year-old winger and they completed the deal to sign the youngster on deadline day.
Pellistri will go straight into Manchester United’s first-team squad, but he is likely to be bedded in gradually as the club look to give him time to adapt to a new country and a different style of football.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer consulted extensively with his former team-mate Forlan, who managed the youngster until recently, and the striker insisted that Pellistri has a lot of potential.
But the former striker stressed that he told the talent he will need to work hard to improve and make himself good enough to play for a club of Manchester United’s size regularly.
Forlan also believes the Manchester United fans will need to give Pellistri time to settle down and develop over the next few years.
The former Red Devil told the South China Morning Post: “I told Ole he has a lot of potential, but he has to keep developing.
“I told Facundo many times: ‘There are not players like you in Uruguay, but if you go to Europe, which attracts the best in the world, there will be many others who are very fast – and stronger than you too. You have potential but it depends on you to improve.’
“Facundo is shy.
“He works hard, he trains hard, he’s professional.
“He speaks English and he went to a good private school.
“He has many attributes and I explained these to Ole, but fans have to be patient because he’s 18 years old and has much hard work ahead of him.
“He’s at the start of his career.
“He needs to understand that he has done nothing yet and that he’s not a star.
“He’s arriving at a big club and he’s done well to get to that point, but I’ve been there. It’s hard.
“You need dedication, lots of hard work and some luck too.”
It remains to be seen when Solskjaer decides to give Pellistri his debut for Manchester United.
