Villarreal are close to completing the €15million signing of Watford full-back Pervis Estupinan, according to AS.

Estupinan joined Watford under the stewardship of Walter Mazzari in 2016, arriving at Vicarage Road from Ecuadorian side LDU Quito.

The 22-year-old was immediately sent out on loan to Granada, but since returning from his spell in Spain, the defender is yet to make a single appearance for the Hornets.

Quiz: 6 of these Watford facts are false – Can you identify them?

 

Instead, Estupinan has spent the past three seasons away from Vicarage Road on loan, with UD Almeria in 2017/18, RCD Mallorca in 2018/19, and CA Osasuna in 2019/20/

Estupinan now looks set to complete a permanent move away from Watford, with the left-back reportedly close to completing a big-money move to Villarreal.

AS claim that Villarreal will pay Watford €15million to sign Estipunan, with Unai Emery's side searching for cover at left-back following Alberto Moreno's knee injury.

Estupinan only has one year left on his contract at Vicarage Road, with Watford looking set to cash in for an eight-figure fee rather than potentially lose him on a free transfer next summer.

The Verdict

This looks to be an excellent piece of business by Watford.

Estupinan has proved to be a strange signing for the club. He has struggled to make an impact for whatever reason, and is yet to make a single appearance for the club in any competition.

To receive €15million for his signature, then, is some going considering his lack of action at Vicarage Road, and given that he only has one year left on his deal, too.