Pervis Estupiñán: Brighton's Latest Ecuadorian Talent

It has been nothing short of a historic campaign for Brighton Hove & Albion. The Seagulls have qualified for Europe for the first time, securing Europa League football with two games to spare after beating Southampton 3-1. They have dazzled neutrals and fans alike with a scintillating brand of football, and they have done so whilst consistently being stripped of their assets by England's richest clubs.

When Graham Potter left for Chelsea in September, they turned to Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi, who has led them to the greatest season in club history. When Yves Bissouma was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £30 million last summer, they turned to an in-house replacement in Moisés Caicedo, who has emerged as a revelation in midfield. When Marc Cucurella was sold to Chelsea for an initial fee of £55 million rising to £62 million with add-ons, they turned to Caicedo's compatriot -- Pervis Estupiñán.

Born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Estupiñán made his first-team debut for LDU Quito just days after turning 17. It didn’t take long for him to establish a starting spot for club and country, the player impressing for Ecuador in the 2015 South American U-17 Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup and getting an early taste of international club competition in the Copa Sudamericana and the Copa Libertadores.

Months after being selected in the best XI of the 2015 Ecuadorian Serie A season, Estupiñán joined Udinese before being sent on loan to Watford -- a club that, like Udinese, are owned by the Pozzo family. From there, he would head straight to Granada, which at the time was owned by the Pozzos as well, and yo-yoed between the B team and the first team until they sold their stake in the Andalusian club in the summer of 2017.