ESPN have our man 7th, behind Luke Shaw (6th), Nathan Ake, Andrew Robertson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Theo Hernandez and Alphonso Davies (1st):
He's a perfect example of Roberto De Zerbi's magic wand at work. The 25-year-old Ecuadorian international was a good player at Villarreal, moved to Brighton, became clearly better under Graham Potter for the little amount of time they worked together, only for De Zerbi to truly take him to the next level! He is now one of the best left-backs in the world, full of intensity, energy, attacking flair and defensive toughness.
The Italian manager developed all his qualities and his performances rocketed, especially after the World Cup, which finished in a heartbreak with a group stage elimination.
Expectations for 2023-24:
It's clear that 2023-2024 should be an even better season for Estupinan. He will have more time with De Zerbi, including a full preseason, making that team better and better prepared. The left-back will look to be a leader on this team during their Europa League campaign, given that he's a rare player in the squad to have played in the Champions League and in Europe full stop before. Such experience will be valuable.
The objective is that he has a top campaign and then leaves in the summer of 2024 for a bigger club. -- Laurens
FC 100 best men's left-backs, 2022-23
Who were the top 10 left-backs in men's football in 2022-23? Our analysts from around the world make their case in this edition of the ESPN FC 100.
www.espn.co.uk