Aston Villa's £17m bargain Digne replacement could be ex-Premier League star - and also a risk
Aston Villa have been linked with a transfer bid for a new full-back - but will bringing him back to the Premier League pay off?
Aston Villa may have only just completed one of the most successful seasons in their long history, but they already find themselves in the midst of an unexpected and enforced rebuild – and while the major surgery being performed on their midfield is grabbing most of the headlines, left-back is another problem position which desperately needs to be addressed.
Lucas Digne is expected to join PSG in the coming days after completing a medical, leaving a gaping hole on the left side of Unai Emery’s back four. It’s a hole that the Villans are already in the process of filling, at least, with reports from Italy suggesting that they are close to securing the signing of a familiar face with a track record of success in the Premier League: AC Milan’s Pervis Estupiñán.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion man could be headed to Villa Park in the near future – but will a deal definitely be done, and will it be a good signing given that the Ecuadorian just endured a difficult season in Serie A?
Aston Villa closing in on deal for Pervis Estupiñán – reports
Over the weekend, several media sources in the Milan region reported that Aston Villa were quickly closing in on a deal to sign Estupiñán, who moved to the San Siro just a year ago after three successful years at the Amex Stadium.
Most reports suggest that the deal – which is likely to be worth up to €20m (£17m) including add-ons – is yet to be agreed, but also that it’s largely a matter of time given that only a relatively small gap exists between AC Milan’s valuation of the player and Villa’s current offer. Italian transfer journalist Matteo Moretto claims that an agreement is just “one step away.”
There are some dissenting claims within the Milanese media, with Sport Witness reporting on some suggestions that Milan might raise their asking price at the last minute due to the windfall that Aston Villa are expected to receive from Chelsea for Morgan Rogers. Emery’s side are likely to add £117m to their coffers in the coming days, and Milan might want to try and squeeze a little more juice out of the Estupiñán deal now that they know Villa will able to afford it.
It appears that there is a strong likelihood, however, that Estupiñán ends up at Villa Park sooner rather than later, returning to the Premier League after a disappointing season overseas. Milan spent around £17m on the 28-year-old in 2025 and handed him a five-year contract but he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter. New coach Ruben Amorim reportedly sees him as expendable.
Estupiñán made just 22 appearances for AC Milan in all competitions last season despite getting through the campaign without any significant injuries, and started just 13 league matches with a return of one goal and one assist. Given how dynamic he was at Brighton, his struggles in Serie A have been something of a surprise – so will he make a good signing for Aston Villa if they do get a deal over the line?
Will Pervis Estupiñán be a good replacement for Lucas Digne?
Although he was less productive than had previously been the case in his final season as a Seagull, Estupiñán still enjoyed a very solid 2024/25 season and there was little to suggest that he would not flourish at AC Milan – but he never hit his straps at the San Siro.
That provides a cause for reasonable concern for Aston Villa, who will need him to find his best form if he is do adequately replace the outgoing Digne. Certainly, if the Ecuadorian left-back plays like he did for most of the past year, he would likely prove to be a let down.
Whatever the reason, Estupiñán was a long way below his best. He went from winning 53% of his one-on-one duels in the Premier League to 40% in Italy. He completed half as many interceptions per match, fewer than half as many tackles, and forced far fewer turnovers. He was credited with twice as many mistakes leading directly to shooting opportunities in less than half as many minutes.
In short, he had an exceptionally poor season, and Villa will need to make a judgement call as to whether that’s a temporary blip which can rectified with a change of scenery and some sympathetic coaching, or whether it signalled a more permanent problem.
The good news is that Estupiñán continued to look threatening as an attacking outlet. He completed a massive 40% of his crossing attempts with Milan – the average in the Premier League is generally around 22% - and enjoyed a higher rate of expected goals and assists with Milan than he did at Brighton. The end product might have been limited, but the quality of the approach play was there.
The beauty of having Digne in the team, of course, was that he was a genuine contributor at both ends of the pitch, both a reliable defender and a wonderfully precise crosser of the ball who could create chances. An on-form Estupiñán is in a similar category, perhaps, but that form deserted him in Serie A.
The likely transfer fee is relatively modest by modern standards, at least, which will suit a side whose spending is constrained by UEFA’s financial fair play rules. Given Estupiñán’s ceiling and the costs expected to be involved, this is a perfectly reasonable risk for Aston Villa to take – but it’s still a risk, and they’ll need the Ecuadorian to get back to his best in order for next season to be another success story.