Pervis Estupiñán Is the Real Gem From the Premier League Relegation Class of 2020

The Premier League season is over and we now know that Norwich City, Watford and Bournemouth will be the unlucky trio making the drop to the Championship.

As is normal at this point in the football calendar, managers around the globe are taking a close look at those three teams to see whether any have some real stars who might be available on the cheap as a result of relegation, and that's more important now than ever.

The Class of 2020 boasts some outstanding talents, including (but not limited to) Ismaïla Sarr, Max Aarons, Callum Wilson, Josh King, Nathan Aké and Abdoulaye Doucouré. They're the kinds of players who deserve to be playing top-flight football next year, and most of them probably will be.

However, the real star of this relegated group has slipped under the radar as he hasn't actually been playing in the Premier League. Enter Pervis Estupiñán.

The Ecuadorian joined Watford in the summer of 2016 but was instantly farmed out on loan, and thanks to a combination of the club's vast loan army and the fact that he is yet to play a single minute for the Hornets, there's a good chance even Watford fans might not recognise his name.

If you haven't heard of him, make a note of his name now, because the 22-year-old is on track to become one of the game's finest in his position.

Estupiñán penned a two-year loan deal with La Liga newcomers Osasuna last summer, and his form was a large part of the reason why Los Rojillos ended up finishing up in tenth this year. Alongside being defensively impressive, he chimed in with one goal and six assists.

Osasuna's primary attacking force, Estupiñán often stole the show in La Liga thanks to his electric dribbling and his vicious, dipping crosses. Even the league's finest defenders struggled to stop him.

He was expected to remain with Osasuna for the 2020/21 campaign, which would have given Watford a chance to make it back to the top flight, but he recently took to Instagram to confirm that his time with the Spanish side has come to an end.

So, where will he be playing his football next year?

His technical ability and superhuman stamina have made him a desirable asset - so much so that it seems highly unlikely that he'll be playing England's second tier. He's just spent a year proving himself as one of the game's most exciting youngsters.

Barcelona, Manchester United, Atlético Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are just five of the teams who have been linked with Estupiñán, and while he might not end up joining any of them, it's clear to see that a year in a lower division probably isn't in his plans, and nor should it be.

While the other relegated stars all failed to keep their sides away from the drop, Estupiñán almost single-handedly dragged a poor side well up the table. Regardless of how you perceive the overall quality of La Liga, there's no denying that's impressive.

His next move needs to be a step forward, not a step back. With so many sides interested, Watford will have a real battle on their hands to convince Estupiñán to hang about at Vicarage Road.

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