When a coach believes in a player’s qualities, it is always a good reason to work together. That is likely what Pervis Estupiñán was thinking in recent hours, following a phone call with the Aston Villa manager. Unai Emery called him and convinced him to accept the project; after that, the rest was handled through his agency. Jorge Mendes got to work and reached a verbal agreement with the Birmingham club.
The Milan full-back has decided to return to playing under the coach he worked with during his time in Spain at Villarreal. The two know each other well, having shared the dressing room and worked together from 2020 to 2022. Estupiñán made a total of 74 appearances for Villarreal across league and cup competitions, although he was not a guaranteed starter as he rotated with Alfonso Pedraza. The icing on the cake came in the Europa League, where together they won the final against Manchester United on penalties during the 2020–21 season, as relayed via Milan News.
The Estupiñán deal:
The deal to bring Estupiñán back to the Premier League is close to completion. The Ecuadorian left-back has reached an agreement with Aston Villa, and the only thing missing now is an agreement between the two clubs. Milan will contact the Birmingham side in the coming hours to finalise a permanent transfer.
The Rossoneri initially set their asking price at €18–20 million, but the deal could be completed for a lower figure. After all, the minimum amount Milan could receive to avoid recording a loss on their accounts is €13.6 million. This means that any amount Milan earns above that figure would be recorded as a capital gain.
Estupiñán is set to leave Italy after just one season, a spell in which he will be remembered for his many mistakes but also for helping secure a derby victory over Inter with a decisive goal. The Ecuadorian left-back is the first player to leave, but many more departures are expected, and the squad-clearing process will be extremely busy in the coming days.
