Can Brighton’s Estupiñán fill Hernandez-shaped hole at Milan?
Milan have been strongly linked in the past 24 hours with a move for Brighton full-back Pervis Estupinan as the Rossoneri seek a left-back to replace Theo Hernandez, who left the club last week to sign for Saudi outfit Al-Hilal.
Growing reports on Friday revealed that Milan have intensified their pursuit of the Ecuadorian defender but the question remains as to whether or not the 27-year-old is a solid enough replacement for Hernandez.
The Frenchman was an integral part of the Rossoneri set up before leaving to join ex-Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi at the Saudi Pro League club.
But what kind of player is Estupiñán and is he fit to fill the boots left behind by Theo Hernandez?
For the Allegri system, Estupiñán is a nice fit…
Whilst Theo Hernandez is often considered be a true example of the modern left full-back, Estupiñán is considered much more of a wing-back.
Hernandez’s strength moving forwards often relied on strong surging runs forward before cutting inside and providing support for elite winger Rafael Leao. Meanwhile, the Ecuadorian defender is much more familiar acting on the overlap, utilising width to deliver strong balls into the box.
For new Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri, Estupiñán is much more of a classic fit for the sort of wide defenders he has traditionally preferred. The coach’s preference in defending with a 3 or 5-man block has often utilised pacy wing-backs able to defend strongly but also burst forwards on the counter to accelerate the transition.
In the 2024-25 campaign for Brighton, the defender registered 38.3 carries per 90, with 2.28 carries into the final third. In comparison, Hernandez managed 34.9 carries and 1.93 into the final third per 90 for a much stronger Milan side. Furthermore, the Ecuadorian attempted 4.46 crosses per 90 compared to Hernandez’s 3.7.
Strong defender Estupiñán will help keep defence steady
It is not just offensively where Milan could benefit from signing the Brighton man, however, with the Ecuadorian an excellent and aggressive defender. His physical prowess helps Brighton to turn over the ball quickly and transition from defence to attack.
Now, this is not to say that the 27-year-old is on the same level defensively as Hernandez, who is often considered to be one of the best 1-on-1 defenders in the world in the left-back position.
However, in an albeit less dominant set-up at Brighton, Estupiñán won 66.7% of his tackles against wingers, higher than the 53.8% stopped by Theo Hernandez. On average, the Ecuadorian made a combined 3.82 tackles and interceptions per 90, compared to just 1.77 by Hernandez.
Granted, 77.5% of tackles made by the Frenchman last season resulted in possession turning over to Milan, compared to 66.3% for the Brighton man.
In all, there is not much to separate the two in terms of their defensive performance. Both are strong, aggressive players who are not afraid to step-up to the winger and put a tackle in. Estupiñán’s similarity to Hernandez in this regard and the aforementioned suitability to Allegri’s system could prove to show the best the Ecuadorian has to offer, if he leaves the South coast of England for Milan this summer.