Aston Villa assess Estupinan, Guimaraes not for sale, Inter Milan give up on Chalobah

By Blessing Adeyi — 13 July 2026 — 4 min read

Aston Villa is reportedly assessing Pervis Estupinan, an AC Milan left-back, as a potential target. This interest comes as Lucas Digne is nearing a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Villa has reportedly opened discussions with AC Milan regarding Estupinan, who previously played under Unai Emery at Villarreal and has experience in the Premier League with Brighton. Reports suggest that AC Milan would consider offers for Estupinan in the range of €10m to €15m, in addition to add-ons.

Estupinan, who is 28, joined AC Milan last summer but made 22 appearances, with 15 as a starter. He scored one goal and provided one assist during his first season with the club. Deportivo La Coruña, a LaLiga side, has also shown interest in the Ecuadorian defender. A return to LaLiga would mark another spell in Spain for Estupinan, who has previously played for Granada, Almería, Mallorca, Osasuna, and Villarreal. A fee of around €12m is believed to be considered sufficient for his transfer.

Transfer Market Activity

In other transfer news, Newcastle views Bruno Guimaraes as not being for sale, despite speculation that Arsenal might be interested in acquiring the 28-year-old Brazil midfielder for £50m. Meanwhile, Inter Milan has reportedly ended their pursuit of England defender Trevoh Chalobah due to Chelsea’s asking price of £30m. However, Como is still reportedly interested in the 27-year-old defender.

Chelsea is also reportedly preparing an offer that could reach £21m for Rayo Vallecano’s Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria, who is 28. Roma had a 40m euro offer for Manu Kone rejected by Atletico Madrid. Manchester United and Liverpool are also reportedly interested in the 25-year-old France defender.

Several clubs, including Aston Villa, Leeds United, Sunderland, Fulham, and Brighton, are reportedly interested in Roony Bardghji, a 20-year-old Sweden and Barcelona winger. Hull City and Southampton are reportedly interested in Justin Nijnmah, a 25-year-old German forward from Werder Bremen.

The performances of Thomas Schjelderup for Norway at the World Cup have reportedly increased Benfica’s asking price for the 22-year-old winger to £43m. Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham are among the clubs reportedly interested in him. Sporting, Wolves, and Southampton have had approaches for Tottenham’s 21-year-old striker Will Lankshear turned down. Lankshear has represented England at youth level and spent last season on loan at Oxford United.

Barcelona is reportedly open to selling Spain midfielder Ferran Torres, 26, to avoid a potential payment of approximately £7m to his former club, Manchester City, if his contract were to be extended. Aston Villa views Ian Maatsen as their long-term first-choice left-back, with Estupinan potentially providing competition and cover during the upcoming season.

PSG has reached a verbal agreement with Digne and plans to activate a release clause worth less than €10m after France concludes its World Cup campaign.

Villa’s Defensive Strategy

Aston Villa signed Maatsen from Chelsea in 2024 with a long-term role in mind. However, Digne’s consistent performances meant that the Netherlands international did not establish himself as an undisputed starter. With Digne’s anticipated departure, Villa appears ready to give Maatsen greater responsibility, leveraging his pace, attacking movement, and ability to combine in advanced areas.

The potential departure of Digne would leave Maatsen as the sole established senior left-back. Therefore, Villa is looking to bring in Estupinan to offer competition and depth, especially with the team competing in both the Premier League and European football. Estupinan is not expected to arrive as a guaranteed starter but rather as an experienced alternative to challenge Maatsen and ensure the squad maintains depth on the left side of defense.

This strategy aims to provide Maatsen with a clearer path into the first team while also maintaining the necessary competition for a demanding season. The reported transfer fee for Estupinan would allow Villa to replace Digne without committing a significant portion of their summer budget. Estupinan’s experience under Emery at Villarreal and his prior time in the Premier League are seen as beneficial for his integration into the squad.

The discussions for Estupinan are ongoing as Aston Villa prepares for the upcoming season.

Source: bbc.com