Lucas Digne: Why Aston Villa’s Frenchman is no Centre-back
Nothing sums up Aston Villa’s defensive problems right now quite like Unai Emery’s decision to move left-back Lucas Digne to centre-back during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham. With Tyrone Mings reduced to tears after suffering what looks to be another lengthy injury, Emery was forced to move the experienced Digne to centre-half.
The Frenchman struggled to get to grips with his newfound position, and after West Ham left-back Emerson had cancelled out Jacob Ramsey’s early opener, Digne nearly handed the visitors the lead with a wayward back pass. Digne’s performance drew criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher at full-time and highlighted Villa’s need for a new centre-half before the January transfer window shuts.
“Digne has had an absolute nightmare on the ball since going to centre-back,” Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. “He has constantly put his goalkeeper and teammates under pressure. He’s been really poor.”
Whilst Digne is unlikely to be risked again at the heart of defence, Emery’s willingness to use the 31-year-old out of position spoke to the trust he has in him. Digne has played an important part in Villa’s resurgence under Emery, helping to secure Champions League football for the Villans last season. Capable of whipping in a dangerous cross and bombing forward on the left, there’s a reason why tipsters are backing him to continue delivering the goods for Villa.
Since signing for Villa in 2021, Digne has made 121 appearances for the club, earning himself a recall to the French national team in September 2024. Digne is central to the way Emery wants to play, positioning himself high and wide to get into strong crossing positions. While also creating space through the middle for the likes of Ramsey and Morgan Rogers.
The former Everton man has one of the best deliveries in the Premier League, and his dead-ball abilities have helped fill the void left by Douglas Luiz, who left for Juventus in the summer. This is all academic, of course, if Villa can’t bring in another centre-half before the end of the transfer window.
Digne has been a fantastic servant for the club, but he isn’t a centre-back. Emery desperately needs to hope Villa can strike a deal for Villarreal defender Juan Foyth, who the Spaniard spoke glowingly about after the West Ham game: “Of course, I know Juan Foyth and a player with his quality, he can play with the performance we want to add to the squad.”
Villa have also reportedly looked at Sevilla’s Loïc Badé as an option. But regardless of who they bring through the doors, Emery can’t go back to the Digne centre-back experiment that nearly cost them their first home defeat since August.
By: Sam Tabuteau / @TabuteauS
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Isaac Parkin – PA Images