In a recent report, The Daily Telegraph has mentioned that Everton full-back Lucas Digne is on Manchester City’s radar this month. It is believed that Man City are keen admirers of the French defender, but the Toffees are preparing to offer him a new contract to ensure his long-term future at Goodison Park (via The Daily Telegraph).
Digne’s Excellent Form At Goodison Park This Season
The 27-year-old has made an impressive start to this campaign as he has put in a string of productive displays on the left side of David Moyes’ defence. The Meaux-born left-back has performed well to pick up four assists in 11 matches for the Merseyside club this term in various competitions.
Digne has caught the eye by averaging 1.9 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 3.0 clearances and 2.0 key passes per game in the Premier League this season. He has also been a neat distributor of the ball after making 80.2% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The Frenchman has enjoyed a brilliant career at Everton so far, but he might be tempted with the chance to join Man City where he will have a better shot of winning some silverware in the years to come.
What Are The French Full-Back’s Best Attributes?
Digne is a deceptively quick full-back who can make some driving runs with the ball towards the by-line. He is a good crosser of the ball and has the vision to carve open the opposition defence with a killer pass in the final third.
The French sensation has proven himself to be a reliable defender inside his half as he has got the defensive awareness to step up and make some crucial interceptions and last-gasp clearances for his team. At 27, he has still got plenty of football left in him to play at top gear.
Why The Toffees Cannot Afford To Let Digne Leave This Month
When fit, Digne is one of the first names in Carlo Ancelotti’s teamsheet as he can influence the game at both ends of the field from the left-back position. Losing a player of his quality in January could derail Everton’s season as he has become such an important member of their starting XI.
Ancelotti has been forced to use Ben Godfrey as a makeshift left-back in the absence of Digne. With the Frenchman set to return from injury soon, there is a lot of optimism around Goodison Park right now. With all things considered, the Merseyside outfit cannot allow Digne to leave for any fee during this winter transfer period as he has the skillset to potentially help them clinch a top-six finish in the Premier League this season.
