PERVIS ESTUPIÑAN: FOCUS AND FUN FACTS

Pervis Estupiñan is already unique as the first ever Ecuadorian Rossoneri. The boy born on 21 Jannuary 1998 in Esmeraldas moves fast on and off the pitch: right after signing his contract at Casa Milan, he flew to Hong Kong where the team are preparing for their second friendly of the pre-season tour. He is our fourth signing of the summer transfer window, and the first in defence. There are no comparisons or competition, as Estupiñan will be taking the place of Hernández.

Left-back, left-footed, 175 cm and 73kg. He's at the peak of his career, and has majorly improved after recent important experiences with Villarreal and Brighton. He will be bringing his love of learning and good experience to the team, already knowing European football well. He is gifted in attack, and is great at driving down the wing, with good technical ability. Pervis is solid, determined, and capable of creating something out of nothing: in 337 total appearances, he has 11 goals and 29 assists. The statistics describe him even better, Pervis loves to attack and he is a precious asset for Allegri. 

His footballing journey began at Club Deportivo El Nacional (2003-2009), before going to Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito (2009-2015), still in the youth set-up. In the heart of Ecuador, he made meaningful steps that led him to Italy in 2016 with Udinese signing him before sending him to Granada, where it didn't take him long to score his first professional goal in the B team, before then making his first team debut. In 2017, he had a spell at Watford and then Almeria, beginning his rich and extensive Spanish experience: Almeria in the Segunda División, helping RCD Mallorca gain promotion in 2018, before Osasuna in 2019 in the Primera División.

In 2020, he moved to Villarreal. It was a turning point for Estupiñan, who was constantly progressing and was always heavily involved. In their yellow shirt, he won the 2020/21 Europa League, staying on the bench in the final in Gdańsk, beating Manchester United on penalties. During his time there, he shared the dressing room with Chukwueze (from 2020 to 2022), and they're now reunited at AC Milan. To conclude, his time with Brighton: from 2022 to yesterday, he undertook his most substantial project so far with 104 matches, five goals and 14 assists. He was a true asset, forged and praised by De Zerbi in their record-breaking sixth-place season, making his mark on English football.

Strong, reliable and full of character. And you cannot forget his impact that he has had for Ecuador since 2019, who he also captained. His father (a former footballer) is a university professor, and his mum, owner of a meatball stand, meant that from a young age, Estupiñan was selling empanadas in his home country, also working as a ball boy at a local tennis club. Now, his stage will be San Siro.

Nicknamed "Bala", meaning the bullet, he will wear the number 2 which was famously Cafu's number. In the past, Pervis faced Allegri in the 2021/22 Champions League, when Villarreal eliminated Juventus, also facing Atalanta, Roma and even Italy in 2024. AC Milan is now, and he's ready to make an impact. If this year is to be a season of redemption for us, the addition of Pervis Estupiñan is definitely heading in the right direction to build a solid and hungry group. ¡Bienvenido, pana!

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