Eager to relaunch eleven months before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, French international Lucas Digne (28), Everton defender since 2018, has left the Liverpool-based club to join Aston Villa, the team coached by Steven Gerrard , announced Thursday, January 13 the two formations of the Premier League.
Welcome to Aston Villa, @LucasDigne. pic.twitter.com/7ytUV2Wn2M
– Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 13, 2022
Until last year, Lucas Digne was an indispensable part of Everton, where he has worn the captain’s armband on several occasions and played 127 games. He even extended his contract until June 2025.
But the former left side of Lille, Paris-SG, AS Rome and FC Barcelona no longer entered the plans of the coach of the “Toffees”, Rafael Benitez, who did not play since the beginning December. The latter criticized him in particular for being more interested in “his personal statistics” only by club ranking, only 15th at mid-season.
“Everything has to come to an end. But I just didn’t expect it to end this way.”, wrote the French in a message on Instagram even before the officialization of his transfer. “What happened and some things that have been said about me over the past month have made me very sad. But I will not go into a war of words with anyone. The club does not deserve not that, the fans don’t deserve this and, to be honest, I don’t think I deserve it either “, he added.
Aston Villa, 14th in the British Championship, has “jumped at the opportunity”, as recognized by Steven Gerrard on the site of the Birmingham club. It’s another nice blow in this winter transfer window for Aston Villa, which has already attracted Brazilian attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, down at Barça, on loan.
Lucas Digne (43 caps) is one of the players most often called up by Didier Deschamps since 2018: if he had not participated in the World Cup won by the Blues in Russia, he was however selected for the ‘Euro last summer. The left side is one of the executives who should compete in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar next winter (November 21-December 18).