Aston Villa gem Seb Revan the natural successor to Lucas Digne after Unai Emery vote of confidence
Unai Emery provided further indications that Aston Villa academy star Seb Revan could be the natural successor to Lucas Digne after placing a vote of confidence in the left-back this week.
Revan, 19, who has captained the Aston Villa Under-21s extremely successfully this season, was named on the substitutes bench for the club’s Premier League encounters against Leicester City and Nottingham Forest this week.
His first-team exposure arrived on the back of an injury to Matty Cash in the most recent international break, but considering Emery’s reluctance to blood any other prospects into his side since arriving at Villa Park, it bodes well for Revan.
The English left-back was also picked ahead of fellow academy product Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who is an out-and-out right-back and would have balanced Villa’s bench far better considering the injury to Cash.
Revan is certainly an exciting prospect for Emery to tinker with over the coming years after shining while on loan with Grimsby Town and Hereford last season and taking his game up a notch again for the Under-21s this term.
The attacking full-back, who can also slide into the midfield when required, has already netted three goals and three assists from just 16 outings in the Premier League 2 Division 2 this campaign.
Revan’s contract in the West Midlands expires at the end of the season, and the club must do all they can to persuade the youngster to put pen to paper and sign new terms at Villa Park.
Considering Digne’s poor form since arriving from Everton in a marquee £25million deal in January 2022, it wouldn’t be a bad call for Emery to start planning for alternatives in the left-back department over the summer.
The Spaniard has already added further competition in this position with the acquisition of Alex Moreno in the winter window, and promoting Revan to the first-team ranks could hint that the 29-year-old Frenchman could be on his way out the door this summer.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery might have a new star on the block after an injury expert shared news on a first-team ace.