Aston Villa defender denies rumours linking him with a move away from the club

It was reported yesterday that Aston Villa left-back Lucas Digne had agreed terms with Turkish club Galatasaray ahead of a transfer this summer. It had been reported by Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu that Galatasaray and Villa had reached an agreement over a one-year loan deal but both Digne and his agent have confirmed that no such agreement has been completed.

The French defender played a crucial role in the Villa team that qualified for the UEFA Champions League last season. He started 27 of Villa's 38 Premier League games last term and performed consistently well to many people's surprise. A common opinion amongst the fans was that Digne was ready for the Villa Park exit door prior to last season but due to Alex Moreno's injury problems Digne had to step up to fill the gap at left-back and he did a magnificent job.

The summer signing of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea has caused an issue for Digne however. Maatsen is very likely to be the first choice in that position following his £37.5 million move and Digne is therefore going to have to accept that he is likely to be a back up going forward. The Villa defender and his family are reportedly very happy at Villa and in Birmingham however and with the player on high wages and the team in Europe's top competition there is no real reason to leave.

The signing of the former Barcelona and Everton defender would have solved a big problem for the Turkish outfit. Since the departure of former Chelsea and Crystal Palace left-back Patrick Van Aanholt, the Turkish club have yet to find a solution and their heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Besiktas in the Turkish Super Cup Final fully highlighted this issue.

However, it appears likely that Digne will remain at Villa Park and although a deal that would see him leave the club would likely benefit the club finanically, the player has built himself a good reputation amongst the fans. Famous for his 'ANOTHER ONE' reactions after big wins, Digne has grown a lot of love from the Villa faithful and his experience and quality in reserve will likely play an important part in Villa's season in one way or another.

There has been other clubs interested in securing Digne's services this summer, particularly clubs from Saudi Arabia, but it appears as though it will be more likely that Alex Moreno could leave before the transfer window comes to a close.

Digne started in last night's win over Athletic Bilbao.

UTV