Aston Villa ‘plan to accept Lucas Digne offer’ after deal gets green light
Aston Villa are set to entertain offers for Lucas Digne in the summer transfer window amid concerns about his recent performances.
The 32-year-old has struggled in back-to-back games against Bournemouth and Newcastle and has been at fault for a number of goals so far this season.
As a result, former Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Unai Emery is keen to upgrade in the left-back position at the end of the season.
Villa’s recruitment team have already begun assessing potential alternatives, while Ian Maatsen’s playing time has increased in recent weeks.
The area has been identified as one of their top priorities, while Digne is also expected to be open to moving on should sufficient interest emerge.
Aston Villa plan to accept Lucas Digne offer
Football Insider revealed last summer that Atletico Madrid were in talks to sign Digne, but ultimately failed to meet Aston Villa’s £10million asking price.
Emery’s side are expected to be more open to his departure come this summer, with concerns about his age and recent performances creeping in.
“I expect Villa will be looking to replace Digne,” Brown told Football Insider.
“I’m told they’re not particularly happy with how he’s been playing recently, and if they can identify somebody to come in and replace him, they’ll want to do it.
“Left-back is a position Emery wants to strengthen in, so I expect they’ll do it in the summer.
“Digne isn’t a bad player, but he’s also not a real top player either. If Villa want to be a top team, he’s somebody they need to improve on.
“So if somebody comes in for him in the summer, I think they’ll see what they can get for him.
“It might be something he’s open to as well at this stage of his career, because at some point you have to make a decision about what level you can still perform at.“
Ex-refs chief weighs in on Digne controversy vs Newcastle
Digne was at the centre of what proved to be a controversial refereeing performance as Newcastle progressed past Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.
Eddie Howe’s side were awarded a penalty on the edge of the box, despite Digne handling the ball well inside the penalty area, as replays quickly confirmed.
Referee Chris Kavenagh and his assistants miraculously failed to spot the infringement and moved forward with a free-kick, although Newcastle still found the net.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider that Newcastle clearly should have been awarded a penalty, but that was not the only incident.
Digne also narrowly avoided being sent off for a challenge on Jacob Murphy which saw him booked, but Hackett insists he should have been dismissed.
To find out more about Aston Villa’s summer transfer plans, head over to Aston Villa News.