Exclusive: Lucas Digne agent reveals Aston Villa transfer truth
Latest Aston Villa news as BirminghamLive speaks exclusively to Lucas Digne's agent Mikkel Beck
Lucas Digne is playing some of his best football to date at Aston Villa since joining the club from Everton last year.
The left-back has featured in all but one of the club’s 11 games in all competitions this season and has recorded six goal contributions. In the absence of Alex Moreno, who is not yet ready to feature due to a hamstring injury, Digne has stepped up and emerged as one of Villa’s top performers so far this campaign.
Last season, Digne featured in all but five of the club's 20 matches following Moreno's transfer from Real Betis, and also played the majority of the match against Liverpool at Anfield - where Villa earned a crucial point in their pursuit of European qualification - before he then started in the 2-1 win over Brighton on the final day of the season.
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In 2021/22, Digne recorded the most key passes per 90 in the Villa squad at 1.9, which was 0.4 better than John McGinn, who ranked second. He also registered four assists in his first 16 matches for the club after joining from Everton.
After being presented with the opportunity to get a consistent run of matches under his belt, Digne has taken it with both hands. This season, of all Premier League players, he features in the top 10 for passes into the penalty area (13), crosses (48) and interceptions (13) too.
Even more impressively, no player in the Premier League has completed more crosses into the penalty area than Digne after the first seven games of this season. The France international has been in excellent form for Villa after receiving interest from a number of clubs in the summer transfer window.
“It is correct that there was interest from different clubs this summer - as there is in every transfer window for a player of Lucas’s calibre,” Digne's agent, Mikkel Beck, told BirminghamLive. “There were a lot of rumours and speculation in the media.
“Lucas never wanted to leave Villa and the exciting project under Unai Emery. He is in his best age as a footballer and not many players have the same ambitions and hunger to always perform his very best as he has.”
Beck added: “I know he loves being back in Europe, and he has missed these European nights since he chose to leave Barcelona. Lucas has played a lot of games at the highest level for club and country, and it means a lot for him to help Villa back in Europe, where this club have an impressive history.
“Five assists in 10 games this season is definitely something very special - also for Lucas, who has delivered one assist in every six games since he came to England and also in his time with Villa. That number is highly unusual for a defender.
“It tells a lot about his high class and his consistency, and it puts him up there statistically as one of the most goal-providing left-backs in the game. And then please don’t forget his defensive stats, which are also impressive.”
Digne has registered more tackles in the defensive third as well as tackles and interceptions combined than any other Villa player this season. He has also won the most aerial duels.
Digne has previously plied his trade in France, Italy and in Spain, while he made 23 Champions League appearances across spells at Lille, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and Barcelona. His experience will also be important in Villa's Europa Conference League campaign this season.
The left-back is proven at the top level of European football and at 30 years of age, he is in the prime years of his career. Digne has made 46 international caps for Les Bleus and also captained Everton during his time at Goodison Park.