Pervis Estupiñán grew up in Esmeraldas on Ecuador’s Pacific coast and joined Watford in 2016, though he never played for their first team. Instead he spent years on loan in Spain, most notably at Osasuna.
Villarreal signed him in 2020, and he won the Europa League in his first season. He moved to Brighton in 2022 and became one of the Premier League’s best attacking left-backs.
AC Milan signed him in 2025. Estupiñán is a regular for Ecuador.
Playing style
Estupiñán is an attacking left-back who is dangerous going forward. He makes overlapping runs, delivers accurate crosses and has scored spectacular goals from distance. At Brighton he was one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League, combining well with the team’s wingers under Roberto De Zerbi. Defensively he is quick and committed, and he has improved his positioning. His experience of winning the Europa League with Villarreal also gives him big-game knowledge.
International career
Estupiñán made his Ecuador debut in 2019 and has become their first-choice left-back. He played at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América, where Ecuador reached the quarter-finals, and helped them qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Career in numbers
Across 13 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2015, Estupiñán has played 332 matches and scored 9 goals for 8 clubs. The 2023/24 season, with 3 goals from 27 matches for Brighton & Hove Albion, remains his highest tally. His busiest campaign was 2022/23, with 41 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has made 5 appearances for AC Milan. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.