It is one thing for other clubs to constantly see the names of Aston Villa players in the headlines as potential transfer targets. It is another to then blatantly devalue and disrespect the club and player as a means to gauge potential interest and then do so in the open.
According to a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on X, Atlético Madrid are keen on signing Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne. They are only willing to do so "for a small fee."
Phrased another way, the La Liga side is interested in bringing Digne into the fold but only if they can fleece Villa in doing so. To have that approach shows a lack of genuine interest in the player and what Digne brings to the table. It also shows a far too willing club that is seeking to take advantage of a Villa side that is consistently reported to be in peril.
This has become the norm as of late, with every day leading to yet another player that is seemingly on his way out the door from Villa. Even taking into account some of the less favorable PSR projections, Monchi and Unai Emery are not at the point where they will need to be reduced to bargain selling in order to get under the threshold.
Takeaways for Aston Villa from this development
Suffice to say, something like this should also help to fuel motivation for Digne, as he and others who have seen their names in similar reports and rumors will now know that they aren't being truly appreciated as players.
If Atlético Madrid were making a serious inquiry, then these types of discussions, though exhausting for Villa fans to constantly see, would be an honest part of the summer activity. Instead, the full circle effect of the media at large consistently pushing this false narrative of Villa being in dire financial trouble has now resulted in this ludicrous non-offer.