After signing Samuele Ricci, and Luka Modric, it seems that the AC Milan transfer market is still ongoing and in full swing. In fact, Igli Tare has reportedly studied a potential move for Fran Garcia from Real Madrid, the talented Spanish left-back, but the choice finally fell on Pervis Estupinan who landed in Milan yesterday. The latter is an interesting profile and could bring much quality and expertise. But, while the fans are eagerly waiting for the new season, there is the opportunity to take a step back from the world of football news and rumours and be entertained thanks to Legiano. The platform offers the latest technology for a seamless gaming experience. While exploring their wide variety of game categories, the user can perhaps strike gold, just like how AC Milan intends to do so in the transfer market.
So who is Pervis Estupinan?
The name of the Ecuadorian left-back became Igli Tare's priority in the last couple of weeks to replace Theo Hernandez who joined Saudi club Al-Hilal. Before joining AC Milan this summer, he was linked with a move to the San Siro during the second half of the 2024/25 season.
Thus, the roads of Italy and Estupiñán have once again crossed paths. He is a player who had a small experience in Serie A after his stay with Udinese.
The 27-year-old player is a more experienced profile compared to other names who were linked to the Rossoneri in that position. Here's everything about the new AC Milan acquisition and ex Brighton wide man.
Pervis Josué Estupiñán Tenorio — that’s the full name of the left-back who was born on January 21, 1998 in Esmeraldas, a city in northern Ecuador facing the Pacific Ocean and known for its beaches and oil refineries.
However, his football journey began in the capital, Quito. After his early steps with El Nacional, he moved to LDU Quito, where his uncle Jorge Guagua was playing. There, he made his first-team debut in 2015 and within a year attracted interest from European clubs — especially Italian ones.
In fact, Estupiñán nearly made it to Serie A in 2016, but only just missed out. Udinese signed him for less than a million euros, but never fielded him. Just three days later, he was loaned out to Granada, where he first played for the B team and then made his first-team debut in April 2017.
It was the beginning of a long list of loans. In 2017, his rights were transferred to Watford, though he never played there either: from there, it was Almeria, Mallorca, and finally Osasuna in 2019. That season proved to be a turning point in his career: he played 36 La Liga matches, impressed many, and caught the attention of Ecuador’s national team coach Jordi Cruyff, who called him up.
Breakthrough at Villarreal and the move to Brighton
He especially caught the eye of Villarreal, who purchased his rights in 2020 for around €16 million, making him the second most expensive Ecuadorian player after Antonio Valencia (€19M from Manchester United). With the Submarino Amarillo, he signed a seven-year contract and achieved both personal satisfaction (becoming a regular starter) and team success — including the Europa League triumph over Manchester United in 2021.
There were ups and downs, though: the following year, he played a negative role in the Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, scoring an own goal in the first leg that affected the outcome of the tie. That edition had already seen Villarreal eliminate Juventus and Bayern Munich.
In the summer of 2022, he moved to Brighton for about €18 million, where he found space and delivered convincing performances in the Premier League: with the Seagulls, he has made 84 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 11 assists — numbers that have drawn the interest of several clubs in England and abroad, including in Italy, as pointed out via Calciomercato.com.
What is Pervis Estupinan's playstyle?
What intrigues suitors is not only the stats, but especially Estupiñán’s playing traits. His defensive phase has improved over the years, but his real strength remains the attacking thrust he offers down the left flank, exploiting his strong left foot. And above all, his speed: in his homeland, he was nicknamed “La Bala” — “the bullet” — due to his explosive acceleration, with sprints clocked at up to 25 km/h.
His strong physical build makes him effective in aerial duels, and his offensive tendencies have allowed him to be used in more advanced positions than his natural left-back role — such as a left midfielder or wing-back.
A long journey at club level, and likewise with the national team. After appearances with Ecuador U17 and U20, Estupiñán joined the senior squad in 2019, earning 48 caps and scoring 4 goals so far.
The passport advantage:
Another appealing factor for clubs interested in Pervis: although Ecuadorian, he holds a Spanish passport. As a result, he qualifies as an EU player and doesn’t take up a non-EU slot in squad registrations.
Now, he returns to Italy through the AC Milan gate...
Before signing on a contract with AC Milan, it certainly wasn't Estupinan's first time being linked with a move to the Italian top flight. In the past years, several clubs considered giving him a real opportunity in Serie A after he only briefly passed through Udinese.
In fact, Napoli is certainly one of the clubs that evaluated his profile more than others, while Juventus also considered him as a replacement for Alex Sandro on the left flank.
Then, it was Milan who targeted him, with Igli Tare and Massimiliano Allegri looking for a suitable profile to replace Theo Hernandez. Compared to other candidates, Pervis is a more experienced profile. His arrival would allow the Rossoneri to set sights on a younger player for the right-back position in order to maintain a balanced mix of youth and experience.
Besides Italy, and before making the move to the San Siro, the ex Villarreal and Brighton player was also linked with Premier League side Manchester United. It’s the club he supported as a child. It’s the team he beat in the Europa League final with Villarreal. It’s one of the clubs that has repeatedly considered signing him over the years.
There were contacts even before his European breakthrough, discussions during his time at Villarreal, and even fresh interest in this summer. But, Milan moved quickly and have secured his arrival.
