Aston Villa have been forced to wait over a Pervis Estupiñán transfer after AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim temporarily blocked the defender’s departure.
Villa had reportedly moved extremely close to an agreement before Milan’s new manager asked to assess the Ecuador international himself.
Estupiñán has travelled with Milan for their pre-season tour after initially appearing likely to leave the San Siro this summer.
Unai Emery remains keen on a reunion with the 28-year-old, having previously worked with him at Villarreal.
Pervis Estupiñán transfer put on hold by Amorim
Moretto said there was “very little left” to resolve between the clubs. However, Milan then held an internal meeting and Amorim requested the opportunity to watch Estupiñán in training before sanctioning his departure.
The decision does not mean the transfer is dead.
Instead, Villa must now discover whether Amorim maintains his stance after assessing the left-back during Milan’s tour. Moretto also raised the question of whether Emery’s side will be willing to wait for a final decision.
Villa have targeted Estupiñán as another senior option at left-back, with Ian Maatsen viewed as the long-term first choice following Lucas Digne’s departure.
The former Brighton defender already knows the Premier League and worked successfully under Emery in Spain, reducing some of the risk involved in the deal.
For Villa, the frustrating part is how advanced negotiations had become.
A transfer had seemingly moved towards its final stages before Amorim changed Milan’s position. Villa must now decide whether Estupiñán is worth waiting for or whether to turn their attention elsewhere.
