Agbonlahor tells Aston Villa to pull Lucas Digne U-turn as summer plan revealed
Gabby Agbonlahor has insisted Aston Villa should not replace Lucas Digne with Arsenal outcast Kieran Tierney this summer.
The former Villa striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed Unai Emery and his recruitment staff should prioritise other targets during the off-season.
Sources told this site on Tuesday (7 March) that the Midlands giants have joined Newcastle United in the race for Arsenal left-back Tierney.
It is believed that Villa could be willing to sell Digne in the summer as Unai Emery continues his overhaul of the playing squad.
The France international has been rotated with Alex Moreno since the Spaniard’s arrival in the January transfer window.
Digne, 29, has managed just two goals and four assists in 38 appearances for Aston Villa since joining from Everton for a reported fee of £25million in 2022.
Agbonlahor told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “Tierney is a good player but I like Digne.
“He’s someone I admire. He hasn’t quite got going in a Villa shirt yet but he’s top quality.
“He has a load of caps for France, he’s been doing it in the Premier League for ages – I just don’t feel like left-back is a priority.
“With Digne and Moreno, I don’t feel like we have to worry about that position for years.
“Villa and Emery should be concentrating on targets in other positions.”
Aston Villa sit 11th in the Premier League with 13 games of the 2022-23 season remaining.
Emery has won half of his 14 matches in charge since taking the manager’s job in November 2022.
In other news, Football Insider updates with Aston Villa set to fork out £169m as transfer paperwork emerges.