Aston Villa’s revival under Unai Emery has restored their reputation as one of the biggest teams in the country and the Spaniard has them flying this term.
Not only are the Midlands outfit in contention for a Champions League spot, but they have also qualified for the last 16 of the Europa Conference League and will take on Dutch giants Ajax for a place in the quarter-finals.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss has been savvy in the transfer market, managing to lure talents such as Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres to Villa Park despite bigger teams showing interest in the pair, and they have become important members of the squad.
Not only that, but Emery has also managed to get rid of some deadwood too. Out went Danny Ings last January for £15m, while young striker Cameron Archer was moved on to Sheffield United in a deal worth around £18m and this has given the manager funds to bolster his side.
This summer could see even more players in the Villa side moved on, with Lucas Digne surely being someone who Emery could sell for a decent fee, as he has failed to truly showcase his talents since joining from Everton two years ago.
How much Aston Villa paid for Lucas Digne
Following the arrival of Steven Gerrard as the new manager in November 2021, the winter transfer window a few months later was his first chance to bring in players to improve his squad.
Philippe Coutinho was his most high profile addition as the Brazilian joined on loan from Barcelona, while the likes of Calum Chambers and Robin Olsen also moved to Villa.
The only signing that cost Gerrard any money was that of Digne, who cost £25m from the Goodison Park side and the move was looked upon as an excellent piece of business, with the manager praising the defender, saying:
"When Lucas became available we jumped at the opportunity to bring him to the club.
"To sign a player of his pedigree and quality in the January window is a great addition to our squad and his arrival excites me and everyone associated with Aston Villa."
Despite the fact clubs such as Newcastle United and Chelsea were keen on signing Digne, he chose Villa and it was certainly a coup.
It hasn’t quite worked out for him in the Midlands, however, as he has failed to really live up to such a lavish fee, while draining the club of a staggering sum of money in wages too.
Lucas Digne’s wage at Aston Villa
When the Frenchman signed in 2022, his wage was reportedly £120k-per-week and this did not change up until the 2023/24 season.
Compared to other players at Villa, his weekly wage is the seventh highest among his teammates, with Boubacar Kamara and Clement Lenglet each earning £150k-per-week, and it proves that he is one of their higher earners.
There is no doubt that this money could be utilised either in other areas of the first-team squad, or by replacing Digne with a player who is younger and showing more long-term potential.
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The 30-year-old has a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season and this means Emery could potentially recoup a decent amount of the £25m that Gerrard shelled out for him by moving him on this summer.
Over the previous two years, Digne has rinsed Villa dry of a significant amount of money.
Lucas Digne’s Aston Villa statistics
Following his mid-season arrival from the Toffees, Digne looked like he could play a solid part in the Gerrard era, as he registered four assists in just 16 Premier League games for the club and his attacking threat added something extra to the side.
With a whole pre-season behind him, the onus was for Digne to improve and become one of Gerrard’s key men as he aimed to lead them to a European spot during the 2022/23 season.
After a dismal start to the campaign which saw the former Rangers' manager dismissed in October, Emery did improve things between then and the end of the season, but Digne failed to follow up on his promise from the end of the 2021/22 season.
In 31 matches in all competitions, he registered just one assist and no goals, and he has struggled somewhat again this season.
The Frenchman has missed a few games due to injury, starting 18 matches in the top flight and recording only two assists.
Among his teammates, Digne currently ranks just eighth for big chances created (two) in the league, while also ranking ninth for accurate passes per game (27.3), 17th for successful dribbles per game (0.2) and fifth for tackles per game (1.5) and these statistics prove that he is far from the attacking dynamo that Emery requires.
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Prior to the left-back joining Villa, he was criticised by former Everton defender Michael Ball as a player who had a “weak mentality” and during his two years at Villa Park, Digne has failed to demonstrate the talents which once saw him play for PSG and Barcelona.
Combining his £25m transfer fee with the £12.5m wages that he has earned since January 2022, the total amount of money that the defender cost the club is a staggering £37.5m, and he has contributed just 12 goal involvements during his 24 months at the club.
These statistics are poor, and he is not getting any younger, indicating that Emery might be wise to consider selling him when the summer transfer window rolls around in a few months.
It is clear that the manager is building a squad which could challenge the upper echelons of the Premier League, with the arrivals of Diaby and Torres proof that big talents do want to join the revolution at Villa Park.
In order to raise funds, however, certain players may have to depart and considering just how much money Digne has rinsed Villa for since arriving under Gerrard a couple of years ago, he could well be the first name on Emery’s list of potential departures.