Man United have ‘held talks’ to sign Premier League defender | OneFootball

Manchester United Hold Talks Over Estupinan as Full-Back Plans Shift

Surprise Talks as United Target Brighton’s Estupinan

Manchester United’s summer rebuild continues to take shape under Ruben Amorim, with full-back Pervis Estupinan now emerging as a potential reinforcement. According to The Mirror, United have held talks with the Brighton defender’s camp, despite already signing Patrick Dorgu in January and welcoming Diego Leon from Paraguay this summer.

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Estupinan, currently 27, still has two years remaining on his contract with Brighton. However, he appears open to the next chapter in his career. “The truth is they have been three years in Brighton with a lot of learning,” he told El Canal Del Futbol. “But this will be a transfer market with a lot of movement. The club know that I would like to grow, that I would like to keep growing.”

His statement reflects a player ready for the next level, and with Brighton having already signed Maxim De Cuyper from Club Brugge, the door may be open.

Internal Competition Raises Questions

What makes this potential move more intriguing is United’s apparent abundance of left-backs. Alongside new additions, the club is still trying to resolve the futures of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. Shaw’s injury record has created concern, while Malacia spent last season on loan at PSV and could be sold.

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Teenage arrival Diego Leon has made it clear he wants a shot at staying. “Everyone thinks I’ll go out on loan, but I don’t have that mindset,” he said earlier this year. “I’m going to kill it in pre-season and within one or two games, I’ll already be playing with them.”

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Brighton’s Rebuild Prompts Market Movements

Brighton’s proactive business in the market may have made this approach viable. De Cuyper’s arrival suggests the Seagulls are planning for life after Estupinan, who joined from Villarreal in 2021 and has since grown into a consistent Premier League performer.

Estupinan’s combination of experience, athleticism and comfort in possession aligns with Amorim’s desire for press-resistant full-backs, but United’s financial room for manoeuvre remains tight.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

This move feels like classic United, more names, less clarity. Pervis Estupinan is undoubtedly a solid full-back, but how many left-backs do United actually need? They’ve just brought in Dorgu. Diego Leon has big ambition. And Luke Shaw, when fit, is still an asset.

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The issue isn’t depth, it’s direction. It’s difficult to see how Estupinan fits into a coherent long-term plan when we still don’t know how Amorim intends to use Shaw or Dorgu. And Malacia, who never really got a fair shake, is on the chopping block again.

United fans have seen this before, flirting with names rather than identifying clear roles. Estupinan may be a fine player, but this reeks of panic rather than planning. Until the club shows real vision in squad building, no full-back signing is going to fix a deeper identity problem.