Aston Villa are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Lucas Digne this summer, with Napoli the latest side paired with an interest in the Frenchman.
The 29-year-old joined us from Everton in January last year, and has since gone on to make 47 appearances for the club.
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However, following the arrival of Alex Moreno this past January, Digne was forced to play a more limited role under Unai Emery in the second half of last season, as he fell down the pecking order for that left-back slot.
Although Moreno is expected to miss the start of the new season due to injury which in turn will see Digne have the opportunity to establish himself in the starting line-up again, speculation over his future continues to suggest an exit could be possible this summer.
On Thursday, The Telegraph reported that Nottingham Forest had expressed interest in the French international, now the Daily Mail report that Villa are open to offers for Digne as Napoli have emerged as another possible landing spot for him.
It’s noted that Digne is one of the top earners at Villa having signed a contract that sees him earn more than £100,000-a-week, and so while Emery will want competition in every position in his squad moving forward, that is an expensive back-up option to have on the books if the Frenchman continues to be largely limited to the bench.
The Mail suggest that a reunion with Rudi Garcia in Naples is now a possibility, but time will tell if the two clubs are able to reach an agreement on a fee – with Villa undoubtedly hoping to recoup as much of the £25m outlay as possible – while it’s unclear at this stage if Digne’s wages will be a problem for Napoli too.
Should an exit materialise though, a replacement will certainly be needed and so there could yet be a reshuffle at left-back for Villa this summer, with Moreno expected to be first-choice when fit. It’s an important decision for Emery and Villa, one that also might hinge on their ability to identify a suitable replacement before giving an exit the green light.