Watford defender Pervis Estupinan has joined Villarreal for an initial fee of £15million.
The Ecuador international joined Watford in 2016 from LDU Quito but was sent out on loan to gain experience and a work permit.
The left-back has since flourished in Spain during loans with Granada, Almeria, Mallorca and most recently Osasuna.
Estupinan’s form in LaLiga unsurprisingly attracted great interest in the 22-year-old and he has now left Watford after they were relegated to the Championship.
The Hornets have, however, banked a fee of £15m for a player who did not make a single first-team appearance for them.
“As [head coach] Vladimir [Ivic] has said repeatedly over the past week or so, having a squad of players 100 per cent committed to our challenge is imperative,” said Watford chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury.
“Continued player trading – incoming as well as outgoing – is inevitable over the course of the next month or so, given the shortened pre-season timescales this summer.
“But that doesn’t mean our focus will be distracted. Building a fully committed squad of players is of the utmost importance.”
