Lucas Digne - French Deulofeu Lookalike

Armchair wrote:Everton boss Rafael Benitez says defender Lucas Digne has been training with the team and he will make a decision on Saturday about his availability for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Digne was left out of the squad for Monday's win against Arsenal despite being fit and available.

Asked if there had been a fall out, Benitez said: "Everybody has to be focused and realise the priority is the team. That's it.

"I don't want to talk too much about individuals, it's not fair on the group. The team was doing really well on the pitch with different players so they showed they can do it. What he has to do is make sure he keeps working hard, and the team is ahead of any individuals."

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Armchair wrote:Everton boss Rafael Benitez says defender Lucas Digne has been training with the team and he will make a decision on Saturday about his availability for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Digne was left out of the squad for Monday's win against Arsenal despite being fit and available.

Asked if there had been a fall out, Benitez said: "Everybody has to be focused and realise the priority is the team. That's it.

"I don't want to talk too much about individuals, it's not fair on the group. The team was doing really well on the pitch with different players so they showed they can do it. What he has to do is make sure he keeps working hard, and the team is ahead of any individuals."

Well that seems fairly clear then, without him actually being entirely direct. Digne was being a bit gobby.

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Armchair wrote:Everton boss Rafael Benitez says defender Lucas Digne has been training with the team and he will make a decision on Saturday about his availability for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Digne was left out of the squad for Monday's win against Arsenal despite being fit and available.

Asked if there had been a fall out, Benitez said: "Everybody has to be focused and realise the priority is the team. That's it.

"I don't want to talk too much about individuals, it's not fair on the group. The team was doing really well on the pitch with different players so they showed they can do it. What he has to do is make sure he keeps working hard, and the team is ahead of any individuals."

Well that seems fairly clear then, without him actually being entirely direct. Digne was being a bit gobby.

Does that translate as 'you've been warned, sort your attitude out and we move on', or 'I'm a pedantic twat who loves to hold a grudge, once you cross me you're out'?

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

Armchair wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

On the other hand, Digne has lost his way a bit recently. Flogging him for £30m, buying a replacement for £18m, with spare change to strengthen elsewhere, might not be bad business.

Da Judge wrote:

Armchair wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

On the other hand, Digne has lost his way a bit recently. Flogging him for £30m, buying a replacement for £18m, with spare change to strengthen elsewhere, might not be bad business.

This.

Everton have agreed a £17m deal for Dynamo Kiev and Ukraine left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko, 22, paving the way for out-of-favour French defender Lucas Digne, 28, to leave the Toffees amid interest from Newcastle and Leicester.

Everton could be offered Juventus and Brazil midfielder Arthur, 25, as part of any deal for the Italian club to sign Digne.

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Armchair wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

On the other hand, Digne has lost his way a bit recently. Flogging him for £30m, buying a replacement for £18m, with spare change to strengthen elsewhere, might not be bad business.

This.

Agreed, I've always thought he's overrated.

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Armchair wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

On the other hand, Digne has lost his way a bit recently. Flogging him for £30m, buying a replacement for £18m, with spare change to strengthen elsewhere, might not be bad business.

This.

Agreed, I've always thought he's overrated.

disagree ... bad move.. especially to a rival...

..he may have lost his way, but he'll soon find it again with a decent manager

if he was gong out of the prem to Europe then fine... I suppose

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Armchair wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Super wrote:https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/18/newcastle-united-set-to-make-31-5m-rated-player-the-first-big-signing-of-the-pif-era/

that's a good idea... sell one of our best players to a team that we're battling relegation with

FFS

On the other hand, Digne has lost his way a bit recently. Flogging him for £30m, buying a replacement for £18m, with spare change to strengthen elsewhere, might not be bad business.

This.

Agreed, I've always thought he's overrated.

disagree ... bad move.. especially to a rival...

..he may have lost his way, but he'll soon find it again with a decent manager

if he was gong out of the prem to Europe then fine... I suppose

Maybe it's because I follow the NFL, where there is always a need to have one eye on today and one eye on tomorrow as far as squad-building is concerned, but I think what we've done here makes sense. Digne is 28, Mykolenko 22. If we sell the former, buy the latter and make a decent profit on the two transactions then from a purely squad-building point of view, they're good moves.

But that all depends on whether Mykolenko is any good or not! I've read that crossing is a strength of his, so if that's the case, it goes some way to mitigating what we'd lose from flogging Digne.

I'll miss Digne. He often gives me kittens defensively with his tendency to dive in or go to ground too quickly, but he's a class player with a good first touch and we have precious few such players in the squad right now. But we have to live in the real world - the problems with Rafa and Digne have happened whether we like it or not, and Rafa isn't going to leave because he's fallen out with one player.

If Mykolenko is a bit better defensively and not much of a drop-off in terms of touch and attacking prowess then this is all good business. That's a big if, though.

Everton boss Rafael Benitez now says that Lucas Digne wants to leave Everton.

The French international has not played since 1 December and has drawn interest from several clubs including Newcastle and in Italy.

"I think he was very clear," Benitez said.

"I want to ask a question to any fan or former player, what Peter Reid will say if a player goes and says he doesn't want to be here? Simple.

"I have had a couple of conversations with me. He told me what he thought, so what do you expect the manager to do when a player is thinking about leaving and a players says he does not want to be here."

Everton boss Rafael Benitez has had to field several questions around Lucas Digne and is very blunt when asked if there have been any bids for the left-back.

"I will say to you I would like to sign Haaland and Mbappe," Benitez said.

"You can make an enquiry, we need commitments. People can talk and talk. I am not in charge of negotiations but when someone is asking they have to commit and say they will buy or pay.

"I have no explanation [for why he wants to leave]. We are professional and are paid big money to do our job. If someone is happy or not happy, it is up to you because are paid big money and have to perform. You have to put your interests behind those of the club.

"In modern football, maybe the stats and the priorities have changed and maybe people think about themselves before the team."

Lucas Digne's future is dominating Rafael Benitez's news conference and Peter Reid's name has come up nearly as many times, with the former midfielder recently critical of the direction the club is heading.

But what happens if Everton can't manage to shift their French left-back?

"It's very simple. The 31st January, if we finish the transfer window and he is still here, we will do what we have to do," said the Spaniard.

"We were trying to manage the situation. We have interest but nothing concrete. What I cannot do is bring players who want to be here, and then give priority to players who are not really interested."

Armchair wrote:

Everton boss Rafael Benitez has had to field several questions around Lucas Digne and is very blunt when asked if there have been any bids for the left-back.

"I will say to you I would like to sign Haaland and Mbappe," Benitez said.

"You can make an enquiry, we need commitments. People can talk and talk. I am not in charge of negotiations but when someone is asking they have to commit and say they will buy or pay.

"I have no explanation [for why he wants to leave]. We are professional and are paid big money to do our job. If someone is happy or not happy, it is up to you because are paid big money and have to perform. You have to put your interests behind those of the club.

"In modern football, maybe the stats and the priorities have changed and maybe people think about themselves before the team."

Because you dropped him, played a CB in his position instead, and have now spent £18m on a different LB perhaps?

Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Everton for left-back Lucas Digne in a deal worth up to £25m.

Super wrote:

Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Everton for left-back Lucas Digne in a deal worth up to £25m.

Armchair wrote:If he had carried on playing like he did in his first 12-18 months he would probably have left already, to one of the Sky 4/5/6 for £50m. But his performances have dropped away so £25m (a profit, as we only paid £18m for him) is decent business.

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Armchair wrote:If he had carried on playing like he did in his first 12-18 months he would probably have left already, to one of the Sky 4/5/6 for £50m. But his performances have dropped away so £25m (a profit, as we only paid £18m for him) is decent business.

Agreed. Also, whatever has happened behind the scenes with Benitez, Digne has shown himself to be a proper shithouse, by crying and running at the first sign of things not going his way.

hairy cataract wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

Armchair wrote:If he had carried on playing like he did in his first 12-18 months he would probably have left already, to one of the Sky 4/5/6 for £50m. But his performances have dropped away so £25m (a profit, as we only paid £18m for him) is decent business.

Agreed. Also, whatever has happened behind the scenes with Benitez, Digne has shown himself to be a proper shithouse, by crying and running at the first sign of things not going his way.

Aye and for a just ten million quid more than Villa have given us for a top left back, we've picked up a kid from Ukraine who might be a decent player one day, if he learns how to head the ball and how to show a winger down the inside instead of falling over when his opponent cuts inside, and the Glasgow Rangers reserve right back who's played half a dozen times in the Scottish Pub League.  What could possibly go wrong?

Armchair wrote:If he had carried on playing like he did in his first 12-18 months he would probably have left already, to one of the Sky 4/5/6 for £50m. But his performances have dropped away so £25m (a profit, as we only paid £18m for him) is decent business.