“Treated the player badly” – Manager slammed for blocking transfer to Aston Villa

Aston Villa had been close to signing left-back Pervis Estupinan in the summer transfer window. A deal was held up by Ruben Amorim and the manager has now been criticised for his call.

It was clear the left-back wanted the move to Villa Park. An agreement between the two clubs also appeared close but the Portuguese coach decided to give him a shot in pre-season.

The Ecuadorian featured in friendlies but things haven’t gone to plan in Serie A. He has started four games but his performances have been largely disappointing. He was taken off at half-time against Lazio, as new signing Diego Moreira grabbed a brace after coming off the bench in Estupinan’s place.

Amorim’s decision has now become a talking point in Italy, amidst belief the player should’ve been sold to Aston Villa.

Ex-Brighton player shares views

MilanNews spoke to Chris Iwelumo, who had a spell with Brighton during his playing days. The former Scotland international was asked specifically about Estupinan’s situation at Milan and he appeared in disbelief over why he was kept at the Rossoneri.

Iwelumo blamed bad management for the situation Estupinan is now in.

He said: “What’s happening in Italy right now, I think man-management matters a lot. 80-90% of your performance depends on it if you want to get the best out of a player. First of all, is he a player they want?”

“I know there were discussions with Aston Villa in the summer. For me, Amorim is coming, and from my point of view, it all depends on the coach and that relationship, and that relationship practically doesn’t exist!”

He also slammed Amorim for a decision that is holding back the left-back’s career.

“But why did Amorim stop the transfer to Aston Villa? Tell me why? Let him go, let him go! Why did he want to see him? He should know the player and have done his research before evaluating him in training! A football manager should learn about a player’s makeup and what he can bring to them. Talk to people, talk to the fans.”

He also urged Amorim to build some trust with the player.

“Exactly, so again, it’s just my personal opinion. He treated the player badly. Now they have a player they don’t want, but there’s still expectation and pressure to perform and get the best out of him. They need to rebuild that trust, but they also need to make him feel wanted.”

Our take: Player should’ve been allowed move

Estupinan suffered quite a bit in the 2025/26 campaign under Max Allegri and it was clear he had a lot of adapting to do.

From a tactical sense, he could suit Amorim’s system because wing-backs are meant to thrive. But the way things are going, he could’ve been better off at Aston Villa. He did well in the Premier League and the move would’ve made a lot of sense.

Unai Emery’s side needed a left-back at that point and he would have fit right in.