Chelsea have known since November they were going to be relying on one left back all season, but they’ve still not managed to identify who they want to get in to replace the injured Ben Chilwell.
One name that had been suggested very strongly was Lucas Digne. The pieces all fit together nicely – he wanted to leave Everton, who had signed a player to replace him already.
But Chelsea are keen on a loan, not wanting to buy a player just to cover for a few months, so it seems a deal with the Toffees was never close.
Now they’ve missed their chance entirely, with Aston Villa happy to pay up the full sum (a reported €27m) for the left back.
Lucas Digne to Aston Villa from Everton, here we go! Agreement reached for €27m fee. Permanent move. Personal terms agreed today morning. 🤝🇫🇷 #AVFC
Digne is now traveling to Birmingham and will undergo his medical today. Another big one for Gerrard after Philippe Coutinho. pic.twitter.com/Gzm9y9tOYs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 12, 2022
Fabrizio Romano says it’s a done deal, and will happen later today.
Let’s at least hope Chelsea knew this was a non-starter from weeks ago, and have been working on other options since.
