Aston Villa transfer blocked twice as Amorim backs Pervis Estupinan at AC Milan

Aston Villa were reportedly among two clubs to have moves for Pervis Estupinan blocked by AC Milan during the summer, with Ruben Amorim personally deciding he wanted to keep the Ecuador international.

Villa had explored bringing the former Brighton defender back to the Premier League and appeared to make significant progress before Milan pulled out of negotiations. Unai Emery's side subsequently moved for Matteo Ruggeri instead.

New information from Italy suggests Milan's decision was no accident, with Amorim later taking the same position when Benfica attempted to sign Estupinan.

Journalist Francesco Letizia, speaking via MilanNews, explained that Amorim effectively "put up a wall" when Aston Villa attempted to sign the 28-year-old following the World Cup.

Estupinan had been open to returning to England after struggling to fully establish himself at San Siro.

However, Amorim believed the left-sided defender could suit the wing-back role within his system and wanted the opportunity to work with him.

That decision was reinforced late in the transfer window when Benfica reportedly came close to signing Estupinan.

Once again, Milan refused to sanction his departure.

"AC Milan has rejected his transfer not once, but twice," Letizia explained, arguing that the decisions demonstrate how highly Amorim regards the player.

Milan's stance forced Aston Villa to find another solution, eventually bringing in Matteo Ruggeri.

Ruggeri has already made his debut under Emery, meaning Villa have moved on from their unsuccessful pursuit of Estupinan.

For Milan, however, the decision to keep the Ecuadorian still carries an element of risk.

From a financial perspective, selling a 28-year-old who had struggled to make a major impact could have made sense. Instead, Amorim has effectively backed himself to extract more from the defender.

Estupinan has started twice this season but is yet to fully convince in Amorim's system.

Competition could also become increasingly important. Davide Bartesaghi is developing as an alternative at wing-back and was selected against Venezia, while Alexis Saelemaekers is capable of operating there when required.

That leaves Estupinan needing to justify why Milan rejected two opportunities to sell him.

If Amorim can rediscover the player who impressed during his time in the Premier League, keeping him could prove an astute decision. If not, Milan may eventually wonder whether the summer represented the ideal opportunity to cash in.

Estupinan now has the opportunity to prove Amorim right, but his place is far from guaranteed with Bartesaghi developing and other options available at wing-back.

For Aston Villa, the situation is largely closed after the arrival of Ruggeri. The more interesting question will be whether Milan's refusal to sell Estupinan ultimately proves justified or becomes a missed opportunity.