Lucas Digne ‘to return to France’ amid £20m Aston Villa transfer news
Lucas Digne could leave Aston Villa this summer after three and a half years at the club.
The left-back has been a stalwart for the Clarets and Blues since arriving from Everton, but only has one year left on his contract.
The Frenchman, who turns 32 next month, has only featured in six of Villa’s last 12 Premier League fixtures following Ian Maatsen’s arrival from Chelsea in the winter transfer window.
Digne’s recent performance for the national side was met with harsh criticism, and the latest development could spell the end of the aging defender’s time in the West Midlands.
Villa to sign Adrien Truffert from Rennes in deal worth £20m
Villa’s well-documented financial issues have forced them to consider selling their higher-earning players like Digne to balance the books and open the door to new signings.
The former Barcelona player’s future has only been cast in further doubt as Villa look set to sign Rennes captain Truffert for £20million.
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| Ligue 1 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 2,756′ |
| Coupe de France | 2 | 1 | – | 171′ |
The versatile wide player has featured in multiple positions along the left flank this season and was initially set to move to Bournemouth before Villa looked to hijack the deal.
Former Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes that Unai Emery‘s club is a more attractive proposition for the Belgium international than the Cherries, and that his arrival could prompt Digne to return to France.
“A lot of this will reflect on how much is on offer,” King said.
“However, if you compare Bournemouth with Aston Villa, it is a no-brainer which club he should pick. In today’s market, £20million seems a reasonable fee for a decent player.
“Perhaps Digne will be on the move. I could see him potentially returning to France.”
Older player to pay the price for Villa’s PSR woes
Nassef Sawiris will be tasked with revamping the squad with younger players to ensure the club can balance their books.
Villa are set to unveil 18-year-old Zepiqueno Redmond as their first signing of the summer, while the likes of Digne and Emi Martinez are edging towards an exit.
Even the likes of record goalscorer Ollie Watkins have been linked with a move, which would leave Emery very short of senior attacking options.
The Spanish manager brought in four loan players in the winter transfer window, but will have far less flexibility to bring established stars like Marcus Rashford ahead of next season, and will have to gravitate more towards youth.