While Aston Villa are expected to bring in reinforcements this summer for Unai Emery, one player being linked with an exit is Lucas Digne.
It’s likely to be a busy summer transfer window for Villa, as the Spaniard will have a real opportunity to bring in his preferred targets to strengthen the squad, with individuals who better suit his ideas moving forward.
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That could lead to some current players falling down the pecking order, but there are already doubts seemingly emerging over whether or not Digne will still be with us next season.
As reported by BirminghamLive, via Correio da Manha, the French left-back has emerged as a potential option for Benfica this summer, as they look for a replacement for the outgoing Alejandro Grimaldo.
Time will tell if they ultimately opt for a swoop for Digne, but it will likely now intensify discussions over his future at Villa given he has struggled to establish himself in the starting line-up since Alex Moreno’s arrival in January.
Digne has appeared in all-but five Premier League games since Emery took charge, but his last start came at Everton on February 25, and Moreno has ultimately now emerged as first-choice in that role.
At 29 years of age and with loftier ambitions at this stage of his career than being a squad player for us, Digne may well be questioning his future already, as it certainly appears as though Emery has brought his preferred option in at left-back and Moreno provides qualities that fit his ideas and system better.
Further, after arriving for a big fee and having been touted as one of the top earners at the club, if Digne isn’t going to re-emerge as a key player for us, selling him now at his age and with three years remaining on his current contract would seem like the smart business decision to recoup a healthy fee.
Villa do have options beyond Moreno if needed too with Ashley Young capable of filling in if necessary given his versatility – assuming he signs a new contract this summer – while there’s of course the potential of Emery making another signing of his own in that department or giving a youth player a chance to offer depth.
As per the Daily Mail in January, it was reported that Emery remained ‘unconvinced’ by Digne, and so it’s questionable as to whether his mindset has changed in the four months since.
In turn, there is a strong argument in favour of moving Digne on this summer. That said, the argument against would be that if we want to compete on multiple fronts, and potentially Europe next season, and become increasingly competitive at the top level, we need two quality options in every position moving forward.
We have that with this duo and qualifying for Europe could change a lot as that means more fixtures and more playing time to rotate and give players opportunities, and so that could be something that convinces both parties to remain together for another year at least.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, but if the interest is genuine, and particularly if Digne is open to the idea of leaving, then it remains to be seen how Villa and Emery shuffle the pack and make us stronger.
Should Villa be open to selling Digne this summer or should we keep him and keep the current competition at left-back in place?
