Liverpool and Manchester United have been strongly linked to the Lille defender in the past year but Digne hasn’t let all the attention get to his head, categorically stating his wish to stay and improve in France. Though with the immense potential showed by the Meaux born player. So is the France U-19 star ready to make the move abroad? Does he have it in him to become a mainstay in the national team? The THT scouting report has all that and more.
Tackling
Most modern full backs either go into the challenge too curiously or hold back too long to have a substantial impact. Very few strike the right balance, and Digne isn’t an exception either. Conservative in the tackle, Digne’s numbers of 1.7 tackles per game aren’t outstanding by any means and is an area he would need to improve if he were to join any big club across Europe. His tackle success rate is good, but the anticipation and knack of putting a foot in when apt is something he has to improve upon.
Score: 7/10
Passing
A 19 year old full back playing first team football since 17, Digne is a good passer of the ball, both on the floor and in the air. His passing caught the eye in the Champions League group stages especially Ai??away to BATE and against Copenhagen at home. His natural instinct is to play short passes and keep the attack ticking. Long range passing doesn’t come naturally to the Frenchman but he does a good job of switching flanks from deep, albeit quite rarely.
Score: 8/10
Aerial Duels/Heading
For a man, boy rather, only 5′ 10″ tall Lucas Digne has an excellent leap and brilliant anticipation in the air. He seems to outjump the attacker on almost every occasion irrespective of the height difference. His strength helps him propel Ai??better and win the ball in the air. Digne has won almost 2 aerial duels per game with 75% success, numbers as good as any centre back around the world and goes on to highlight his aerial supremacy. His anticipation only makes him better. However offensively he isn’t involved as much, which is quite curious.
Score: 9/10
Crossing
Despite being adventurous in attack, it’s safe to say Digne isn’t the best crosser of the ball. He is young and his attacking robustness is impressive, but his tendency to send balls in at the earliest opportunity means he isn’t very accurate with his crosses and with a crossing accuracy of 12% Digne has a lot of work to do. However he is never shy of attempting them, and that can only be a good thing once he finds precision.
Score: 7/10
Dribbling
Movement is surely one of Digne’s top attributes, and his movement both with and without the ball are top notch. More often than not he pushes the opponent full back on the right, deep into his own half, either combining with the left winger or barging forward on his own. The fact that Digne doesn’t cut inside often makes him predictable to a certain degree but then his pace and aggression down the flanks always gives him an edge on the wing. Not afraid of venturing forward and pulling the trigger if and when required, dribbling comes naturally to the youngster.
Score: 8/10
Interceptions
Attacking fullbacks are the norm in modern football, but the ability to break play and initiate attacks is equally important. This is one area Digne looks bright, having high concentration levels and staying extremely aware of the build up play. His clearances and interception numbers of 3.6 and 1.8 per game respectively, speak volumes of his sharpness while defending. His development in the past season and half has been pleasing with improved maturity and a more confident approach at getting the ball off his man.
Score: 8/10
VERDICT: LucasAi??DigneAi??is another French gem but needs polishing
19 year old and fast learning the tricks of the trade, Digne is ready to make it big, in France or elsewhere. Manchester United and Liverpool have been heavily linked with the youngster while Roma have recently joined the list of admirers. The player is in no hurry to move especially with game time being crucial in a season which sees the World Cup start at the end of it. Lucas Digne typifies modern day full backs and his development, physically and maturity wise indicates a positive growth pattern. Being first choice in his tender teens, Digne will be hoping to fine tune his crossing and shooting abilities in the close season. With a dearth of quality left backs blossoming at youth level across Europe, Lille could be holding a future world beater in their ranks. Digne however seems extremely grounded and is a keen learner. One step at a time.
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