Aston Villa are looking to recover from a nightmare 24 hours in which they lost two key first-team stars after their release clauses were triggered.
The Villans were rocked when Manchester United triggered the £35m exit clause in Youri Tielemans' contract on Monday morning, before European champions PSG informed them later in the day that they would be triggering the clause in Lucas Digne's contract to sign him for a fee worth less than £10m.
Now Unai Emery is keen to rebuild the squad ahead of a campaign which will see the team competing in the Champions League once more, and the club have made a bid to replace one of those stars.
Aston Villa Make Offer for Estupinan
Pervis EstupinanREUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
According to a report by SportMediaset, Aston Villa have tabled a bid to sign AC Milan left-back Pervis Estupinan to replace Digne.
Estupinan, who has been described as 'phenomenal', left the Premier League to join the Serie A side last summer but struggled to make an impact, and is now considered to be surplus to requirements by new manager Ruben Amorim.
Emery worked with the Ecuador international during their time together at Villarreal, and has identified the 28-year-old as the man he wants in his squad to replace the PSG-bound Frenchman.
Villa are understood to have tabled a bid worth between €10m-12m (£8.5m-10.2m), but Milan are holding out for a fee closer to €18m (£15.3m) to allow him to move on, having paid £17m to take him away from Brighton 12 months ago.
Talks are ongoing between the clubs to find an agreement, and all parties are working to bridge the gap in valuation, with a deal expected to happen.
It's understood that Emery is the man driving the deal behind the scenes at Villa Park, and Milan have opened the door to his departure.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Estupinan and Emery is a Great Match
unai emery
Emery knows his system and demands better than anyone else, and it's no surprise that most of the deals he has asked for during his time in the Midlands have ended up being a success.
The Spanish manager knows Estupinan well, and the defender himself knows the demands of the Premier League and what is required to be a success in Emery's system. At the reported fee, it's a sensible idea for Villa to go for someone who will need limited time to adapt, while also replacing the experience and quality they are losing in Digne.
Villa have been very good at bouncing back from disappointment in the market in recent years, and this is another chance for them to show they belong in the big time with the way they get their business done on and off the pitch.
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