The £15m high-impact signing that could be the last piece in Newcastle United’s puzzle

It’s a bit of stretch to suggest that Newcastle United have a problem, per se, but they do have a weak spot, despite what you might think having watched them demolish a perfectly decent Aston Villa side 5-1 on Saturday evening.

And even “weak spot” is perhaps a reach – but they are a little bit lightweight at left-back compared to teams with similar ambitions, and that’s something they’ll need to rectify before too long. As it stands, Dan Burn and Matt Targett compete for the minutes but the former is extremely defensive – a converted centre-back who gets a nosebleed if he comes within five metres of the final third – and the latter has struggled for form since arriving at St. James’ Park and is himself not much of a creator.

On the other flank, Kieran Trippier offers an exceptional balance between his defensive skills and his attacking output, but then that’s why he’s so valuable – very few defenders can offer creative returns up the field and genuine solidity behind the ball. And most of those that do exist are off the market.

Which may explain why Eddie Howe hasn’t really been linked with a move for a new left-back, except in the most speculative corners of newspaper columns. Balanced wing-backs are a rarity at the highest level, but there is one going in the Premier League, and he’s at a selling club, albeit one that drives a hard bargain. Pervis Estupiñán is the perfect fit for Newcastle, and could be the missing piece in the jigsaw.

The Ecuadorian only joined Brighton & Hove Albion last summer, for a fee of around £15m, but he’s not unaccustomed to moving quickly from club to club – his two seasons at Villarreal were the first time in his career that he played in the same place for two seasons on the bounce. And while Brighton do not sell cheaply, they do sell, and Estupiñán may be the most well-rounded left-back in the world who’s plausibly available to buy at the moment.

If you’ve only really seen him on Match of the Day, you’ll know how dangerous he can be up front. He’s a tremendous crosser of the ball, and his beautifully-judged ball across the Luton Town backline set up Brighton’s fourth goal on Saturday afternoon. He’s also a sharp passer and an excellent ball carrier who averages nine progressive plays per game (that is, getting the ball either into the box or at least ten yards further upfield), which is excellent.

But for all of his evident attacking excellence, he’s also a very reliable defender – something which can’t be said of many of the attacking full-backs routinely listed as being among the world’s best. His judgement of balls down the flank, in particular, is excellent, and he knows how to pick direct passes off or how to shepherd opposing wide-men into less threatening areas.

He isn’t the strongest tackler in the game – although he’s better than plenty who ply his trade – but his positional sense and ability to get into the right areas to defend crosses more than makes up for it. Like Trippier, he’s a genuine all-rounder who can contribute at both ends of the pitch, and also has the pace and gas in the tank to shuttle up and down the sidelines all day long. And he would finally provide the balance that Newcastle need – as it stands, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their balls into the box come from the right-hand side. That predictability only helps rival defences.

Look at almost any other attacking left-back’s underlying numbers and you’ll routinely see the same story – either they can’t tackle or block well enough to prevent balls into the box, or they spend so much time down the other end that they don’t give themselves opportunities to. Estupiñán is cut from a different cloth, and it’s only a matter of time before a big club come in and buy him. Newcastle should probably try to get there first.

There have been some extremely tenuous links with Liverpool – although the source of that rumour may well have pulled it out of his backside, quite frankly – but otherwise there doesn’t seem to be a queue forming just yet, although there probably will be the moment anyone moves on him.

As for how much he might cost, that’s a guessing game. Transfermarkt reckon he’s worth €32m, but that seems distinctly on the low end after an impressive first season at the Amex Stadium, and Brighton know how to extract a profit. Any attempts to lowball will likely be met with a meaningful glance in the direction of Saudi Arabia and a suggestion to come back with a bit more cash. Whether Newcastle would be able to shell out as they walk the tightrope of FFP requirements is a question that only their owners can answer, and it’s worth remembering that Marc Cucurella cost Chelsea something like £60m. And Estupiñán is better.

The simple fact is that Estupiñán is a brilliant, well-rounded player who offers a more balanced game than any other left-sided full-back that the Magpies could sensibly expect to buy at the moment. As they try to maintain another top four push and gradually assert themselves as genuine challengers for silverware, they’ll need to take opportunities to buy players who brush against world-class level who don’t cost an arm and a leg, because the more established sides of the world won’t give them many chances to buy the best. Estupiñán fits the bill and fills a need – it’s hard to see what’s not to like.