How Aston Villa can quickly replace Lucas Digne

Despite enjoying one of their most successful ever campaigns throughout 2025/26, the last few days have been a stark reminder of where Aston Villa currently sit in the food chain.

Unai Emery may have led the Villans to Europa League glory and a place in the top-five of the Premier League, but it’s still resulted in multiple key departures from the West Midlands.

Youri Tielemans’ £35m deal to join Manchester United was confirmed yesterday evening – a move which has left a huge hole at the heart of the club’s midfield department.

Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara both remain long-term absentees due to their respective knee injuries, which further highlights the need for added midfield reinforcements.

However, it’s not the only area of the squad which could be bolstered during the ongoing window after developments emerged earlier this week.

The impact of Lucas Digne’s pending departure from Aston Villa

Despite the news of Tielemans’ move to join Michael Carrick’s men, Villa fans also had to sit back and watch another senior squad member agree a deal away from the West Midlands.

Left-back Lucas Digne also had his £8m option triggered within his contract, which will see the French left-back complete a move back to his homeland to join PSG.

The 32-year-old has been a tremendous servant to the Villans over recent seasons – subsequently amassing 184 appearances after his move from Everton back in January 2022.

Emery’s men are losing a top-level attacking full-back this summer, with the Frenchman’s stats from last term highlighting his tremendous quality with the ball at his feet.

Digne’s tally of six assists in the Premier League last campaign saw him average 0.29 assists per 90 – a tally higher than 96% of other defenders in England’s top-flight.

He also caught the eye with his phenomenal crossing ability – registering an average of 1.6 successful crosses per 90 – also putting him in the top 8% of other full-backs in the division.

However, his chapter at the club has now come to a sudden end, but it’s now down to Emery and the hierarchy at Villa Park to identify the right player to fill the void left by Digne.

How Aston Villa can replace Digne in the transfer market

Finding a replacement in the modern market could prove to be a tricky task for Villa, with very few top-level left-backs currently available for transfer this summer.

Emery’s side have also had their issues with PSR and have often had to sell their top talents, just like Digne, to try and balance the books and avoid any financial implications.

However, it hasn’t stopped the hierarchy from targeting added reinforcements – as seen by their efforts to land Pervis Estupinan from AC Milan in recent days.

It’s been reported by Sport MediaSet that Villa have already made a £10m bid to the Italian outfit over a possible deal for the Ecuadorian international ahead of the 2026/27 season. That said, the Italian giants are holding out for a £15m fee.

The player has been told by boss Ruben Amorim he’s free to depart the San Siro this summer, which could lead to a return to England after previously playing for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Such a move could also see a reunion between the 28-year-old and Emery after the pair previously worked together during a two-year spell at LaLiga outfit Villarreal.

His stats from last season in Italy highlight his top-level quality at both ends of the pitch – even managing to better Digne in numerous key areas in the process.

Estupinan, who’s been labelled “incredible” by analyst Paride Pasta, managed to complete 40% of the crosses he attempted in Italy’s top-division throughout 2025/26.

The aforementioned tally places him in the top 10% of full-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues, whilst also bettering Digne, who only completed 31% of his efforts.

The former Brighton star also managed to complete more of his attempted passes and was dispossessed on fewer occasions – highlighting his excellent ability with the ball at his feet.

However, without the ball, the Ecuadorian international also bettered the Frenchman, subsequently making more ball recoveries and defensive contributions per 90.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal could cost for the 28-year-old this summer, it is evident that Estupiñán is a player who would be an excellent option for Villa this summer.

Losing Digne would be a bitter blow given his top-level experience, but a deal for the AC Milan talent could allow the supporters to forget about the departing defender.