Gabby Agbonlohar believes a ‘fantastic’ Aston Villa player may have played his final game under Unai Emery and expects him to leave this summer.
Aston Villa have been one of the most active clubs in the summer transfer window.
The Villans need to sell some of their players before the June 30th deadline to avoid breaching Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Douglas Luiz is the most likely to depart of any player as he nears a transfer to Juventus with Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea moving in the other direction as part of the deal.
Jhon Duran could be shifted on as Chelsea continue to pursue the 20-year-old striker while Tim Iroegbunham is close to finalising his transfer to Everton with Lewis Dobbin joining Villa.
According to Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor however, the outgoings won’t stop there and he expects another high earner to depart Villa Park.
Gabby Agbonlahor thinks Lucas Digne will leave Aston Villa
Aston Villa are investing in their left-back position with Fabrizio Romano announcing that a £37.5 million fee has been agreed to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.
Acquiring the 22-year-old, who is fresh from reaching the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, would be a fantastic piece of piece.
Maatsen arriving in Birmingham, though, would have a knock-on effect for those currently scrapping for that position as Agbonlahor expects Alex Moreno to become a backup to the Dutchman with Lucas Digne sold.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Villa striker said: “So I think it’s one that Chelsea will regret and one that Aston Villa fans are going to love. He’ll start and then it wouldn’t surprise me if Lucas Digne moves on and Alex Moreno is the back-up left back.”
Agbonlahor also acknowledged that Maatsen would be a statement signing for the club as they prepare for Champions League football in 2024/25, saying: “It’s a statement signing for me, it’s like saying, ‘You know what? I’m not going to sit with what we’ve got’. We know we could play Real Madrid at Villa Park, and the way we play a high line – Kylian Mbappe, Rodrigo, Vinicius Jr – you need quick defenders.
“So I’m happy with the signing. I think it just shows where we are now, we can start going for bigger, pedigree players. And I think it’s going to be a great transfer window for Unai Emery.”
Selling Lucas Digne is a no-brainer for Aston Villa
Signed by Steven Gerrard for £25 million in January 2022, Digne has been a regular at left-back, making 93 appearances across all competitions for the club.
The Frenchman’s time at Villa Park hasn’t always been plain sailing, though, as when Moreno was signed in January 2023, it looked as though the 30-year-old was on his way out.
It wasn’t until Moreno’s injury in May 2023 that Digne wrestled back his starting spot on the left and truly showed his worth to Emery.
An attacking force down the flank with a wand of a left foot, the former Barcelona man impressed as an outlet going forward and at one point, registered the most crosses in the Premier League in 2023/24.
That speaks volumes about how effective he is in attack but on the flip side, his defensive play has often been erratic and Maatsen would be a huge upgrade in that regard.
Digne has previously attracted interest from Saudi Arabian clubs and with two years left on his contract, Villa could cash in on the £120k-a-week whiz.
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