Lucas Digne au PSG : les coulisses d’un transfert surprise d’un joueur prêt à « boucler la boucle »
Aston Villa’s seasoned left-back, Lucas Digne, is poised to finalize his move to Paris Saint-Germain following the conclusion of the World Cup. This marks a return to the Parisian club where he previously played from 2013 to 2015, before a loan spell with AS Rome during the 2015-2016 season. The details of this significant transfer have been meticulously and quietly arranged over the past four weeks.
It remains to be seen if Lucas Digne’s eldest son, Isaho, an ardent supporter of Paris Saint-Germain, was privy to the news. In a matter of days, the 32-year-old Aston Villa defender is set to make his highly anticipated comeback to the French capital, more than a decade after his initial departure. A three-year contract awaits him. This unexpected transfer, first brought to light by English media on Monday morning, has been in the works for approximately four weeks.
For several months, Luis Campos, seeking a reliable backup for Nuno Mendes, had primarily focused on acquiring a younger player. Consequently, the pursuit of Lucas Digne initially progressed slowly. The question for the Parisian management was whether signing a 19 to 22-year-old made strategic sense when Nuno Mendes himself is only 24. The answer to this query soon became apparent. The former Lille player’s profile proved highly appealing: French, experienced, and financially accessible with a release clause reportedly under €10 million. He is a player known for consistently delivering high-level performances without hesitation. Crucially, he is also a familiar face to Luis Enrique, having played under the coach at Barcelona during the 2016-2017 season, featuring in 26 matches.
aspiring to a “big brother” role for nuno mendes
The Parisian coach had previously admired the French international’s mindset during their time together and recognizes the daily demands placed on the left-back, whom he regards as an exemplary professional. The decision to accelerate discussions for this transfer was made approximately three weeks ago. For Digne, after eight years and 253 Premier League appearances, and despite interest from clubs like Nottingham Forest and Saudi teams last winter, the prospect of returning to a club that has been a double European champion was highly attractive. He privately expressed a desire to “close the loop” by returning to a familiar setting, albeit one now equipped with significantly different resources compared to his initial tenure from 2013 to 2016 (which included a loan to Rome in the 2015-2016 season).
Coincidentally, just a few months prior, Digne had privately envisioned himself contributing to Nuno Mendes’s development into the world’s premier left-back, without then imagining he would be doing so at Paris Saint-Germain. He saw himself potentially taking on a mentorship role. In Paris, Digne will rejoin several French internationals, including Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé. He shares strong relationships with these players. The defender from northern France had not discussed his contact with the capital club with them. It was in their Dallas hotel rooms this Monday morning that his teammates learned of the impending signing, which naturally led to some good-natured teasing.
Just months ago, Digne had surprised his son, Isaho, with a birthday gift: tickets to a PSG-Toulouse match at Parc des Princes. The defender cherished the experience from the stands, watching alongside his son. Soon, Isaho will have the incredible opportunity to watch his father play on the very pitch of Parc des Princes, proudly wearing the jersey of his favorite club.
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