Chelsea have reportedly amplified their efforts to secure the services of 28-year-old French international Lucas Digne from Everton.
According to a report by The Sun, Lucas Digne has become Chelsea’s priority target to reinforce the left wing-back position in the January transfer window. The Blues have stepped up their efforts to sign the 28-year-old French international from Everton this month.
Lucas Digne joined Everton from Barcelona in August 2018 and has made massive strides in his career. The French international is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League, having established himself as a pivotal figure for the Toffees immediately. At the same time, he has also become a regular for Les Bleus and was a part of their triumphant UEFA Nations League campaign.
To date, the 28-year-old has turned out 127 times for Everton, chipping in with six goals and 20 assists in the process. However, Digne’s spell at Goodison Park could be drawing to a close soon as he has been frozen out of the first-team picture following a recent fallout with Rafael Benitez. Such a situation has captured the attention of Chelsea.
The interest from Chelsea makes a world of sense, considering Ben Chilwell’s campaign has been brought to a premature end due to a long-term knee injury. Chilwell’s forced layoff has left Thomas Tuchel with Marcos Alonso as the only natural left wing-back at his disposal.
However, Alonso has blown hot and cold at an alarming rate, with his output at either end of the pitch often leaving a lot to be desired. So, it behoves Chelsea to invest in a left wing-back, with Digne a viable target to that end.
Recent reports have claimed that Digne is keen on joining Chelsea, which serves as a major boost to the Blues’ hopes of securing his services in the January transfer window. However, there might be a major discrepancy between the stances of Chelsea and Everton, as the west Londoners want to sign the 28-year-old Nations League winner on loan, whereas the Toffees want to cash in on him.
Everton’s desire to offload Digne permanently also stems from their recent acquisition of Vitaliy Mykolenko, meaning the French international is surplus to requirements. With Chelsea now stepping up their efforts to sign the player on loan this month, it remains to be seen if a temporary move sees the light of the day.