Ruben Amorim questioned over decision that blocked Pervis Estupiñán’s Aston Villa move

Ruben Amorim has been criticised for blocking Pervis Estupiñán’s proposed move to Aston Villa during the summer, with the left-back now struggling to establish himself at AC Milan.

Estupiñán was reportedly keen on returning to the Premier League and an agreement between Milan and Villa had been close. However, Amorim wanted to assess the Ecuador international during pre-season before making a final decision.

That opportunity has not produced the outcome Milan might have hoped for, with Estupiñán struggling for form during the opening weeks of the Serie A campaign.

Former Brighton striker Chris Iwelumo believes Milan should simply have allowed Estupiñán to join Unai Emery's side.

Speaking to MilanNews, Iwelumo questioned why Amorim needed pre-season to assess a player whose qualities could already have been researched extensively.

“Why did Amorim stop the transfer to Aston Villa?” Iwelumo said. “Let him go, let him go! Why did he want to see him?”

Estupiñán has started four Serie A matches but was substituted at half-time against Lazio. His replacement, summer signing Diego Moreira, subsequently scored twice.

Iwelumo believes the situation has been poorly managed and suggested Milan must now rebuild trust with the defender.

“He treated the player badly,” Iwelumo said. “Now they have a player they don’t want, but there’s still expectation and pressure to perform.”

From Football Place's perspective, the proposed Villa transfer appeared to make sense for both the player and Emery's squad.

Estupiñán already had significant Premier League experience from his time at Brighton, while Villa were looking to strengthen at left-back during the summer.

There were also tactical reasons for Milan to retain him. Amorim's system places considerable importance on wing-backs, potentially offering Estupiñán a role suited to his attacking qualities.

However, his difficult start has inevitably brought the summer decision back into focus.

It is too early to conclude that keeping Estupiñán was definitively a mistake, but Milan now need to find a way of restoring his confidence and extracting the qualities that initially convinced Amorim to block his departure.

Estupiñán now has to convince Amorim that keeping him was worthwhile as Milan attempt to improve his performances and confidence.

If his situation does not change, questions over his future could inevitably return when the transfer market reopens.