Villa Park
Nottingham Forest are keen to sign Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne as the Premier League outfit continue to chase Brennan Johnson. The Reds are hoping to get the very best price for their star man and have considered players to take from Villa Park.
According to The Telegraph, Forest now want to sign Digne. The Reds have a bit of a requirement for a left-back, with Omar Richards untested in the Premier League and Harry Toffolo facing a suspension over betting breaches.
Digne has fallen down the pecking order since Unai Emery checked in at Villa Park. The Spaniard prefers Alex Moreno who he signed from Real Betis; with the player a previous target of Forest last summer.
Digne could be on the move this summer and Forest are keen to land him as part of the Johnson deal. However, one stumbling block at this stage could be the wages that the Frenchman hopes to earn.
The player earns £120,000-a-week at Villa Park. That would make him an expensive option for the Reds, although it’s not stopped them from entering discussions with Villa regarding his availability.
Last season, Digne made 31 appearances in all competitions. He didn’t play in either of the two games against Forest as he was injured for the first one and remained an unused substitute for the second.
Forest keen to sign Digne this summer
Five years ago, the player was producing the goods for Everton. After scoring in a game against Watford, Marco Silva called him fantastic following his pin-point free-kick that rescued a point.
Digne has an abundance of Premier League experience under his belt. He’s made 157 appearances in total and has excelled when playing for Everton and Villa since moving to England from Barcelona in 2018.
Forest could bolster their left-back options by signing Digne. It would leave Forest with three options, however, and perhaps one of them will have to make way once Toffolo has served a potential suspension.
Rumour rating: 6/10 – It does seem as though this one has a lot to do in order for an agreement to get reached. Digne won’t come cheap and his salary is definitely cause for concern.
Still, if a deal can be done, this wouldn’t be a bad signing. Digne has a wealth of experience and at 29, he should be in his peak years which wouldn’t be a bad thing from a Forest perspective.
