Lucas Digne

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Do we offer one of our best players a contract extension in the summer, even though he's 31?

Do we move him and his wages on, replacing him with Maatsen, with Paterson / Illing-Junior as back-up?

Illing-Junior was MoM for England U-21s on Monday, btw. He looked good-hardly wasted a ball.

Decisions, decisions...

Did Illing Junior play left back for the U21’s ?

[dcdavecollett]

He did. He set up the goal with a good cross.

[Dave]

It still feels like he's a winger not a full-back, but if he can turned into a decent version of the latter there's probably a pretty quick route into the full England side if he fancies it.

[Garyth]

Do we move him and his wages on, replacing him with Maatsen, with Paterson / Illing-Junior as back-up?

Was thinking about this today, with regards to the whole squad - it’s possible that with Monchi we are looking to purchase replacement players a year before they are needed (ie like Maatsen, Nedjelkovic), which means being able to look at players that might be the ‘next big thing’ but can use a bit of development while the current player is 1st choice.

Had me thinking about who this January’s version of Rogers might be.

[dcdavecollett]

Good post. I like to think you're right and hope Enzo comes into this category, too. Forward planning, eh? Who knew this was a thing?

[Risso]

Do we move him and his wages on, replacing him with Maatsen, with Paterson / Illing-Junior as back-up?

Was thinking about this today, with regards to the whole squad - it’s possible that with Monchi we are looking to purchase replacement players a year before they are needed (ie like Maatsen, Nedjelkovic), which means being able to look at players that might be the ‘next big thing’ but can use a bit of development while the current player is 1st choice.

Had me thinking about who this January’s version of Rogers might be.

Maatsen might be ready in a year, but there's no way Ned will be. Which further strengthens my feelings that we got things arse about face in the transfer window this summer. Left back was about the last position we needed to strengthen, whereas right back was far more urgent. I can see the point in buying players for the future, but this summer we had at least three positions where quality additions were more pressing than left back.

[OCD]

Tielemans is another who was bought a year before we really saw what Emery wanted to do with him.

[Dante Lavelli]

What do we do about Digne?  Out of contract in the summer and will be 32 when next season kicks off.  Rumoured to be on big wages too.

[Demitri_C]

What do we do about Digne?  Out of contract in the summer and will be 32 when next season kicks off.  Rumoured to be on big wages too.

He is out of contract this summer? Or do you mean next?

At 32 and high wages i wouldnt be offering a new contract longer than a year with a option for further 12 months

Dignes been excellent but if we need to cut the wage bill then sadly digne will need to be sacrificed.  We can go with maatsen and moreno if need be. Also illing jr can play there

[N'ZMAV]

What do we do about Digne?  Out of contract in the summer and will be 32 when next season kicks off.  Rumoured to be on big wages too.

he'll go Saudi

[manic-road]

I thought his contract runs out June 2026.

[algy]

I thought his contract runs out June 2026.

If that’s the case, i could see us selling him this summer. It’s probably the last season we’ll get anything other than a nominal fee for him, and with Maatsen and Iling Junior we should be sorted on that left hand side for the next decade

[eamonn]

I think and hope we hold onto him. What we get as a fee next summer would be pretty nominal anyway, he can continue to contribute more for us next season I reckon. Unai mentioned recently that Digne does extra training and even came back a day earlier from international duty last month.

[ChicagoLion]

He has been the one reliable defender this season.

[Dante Lavelli]

I thought his contract runs out June 2026.

oops we’re in that period of the year where days and seemingly years become a blur.  If summer 2026, then I’d let him run down his contract whilst Maatsen slowly replaces him.  By the time his contract expires Jnr or Suso (? Others?) should be ready to challenge for the role.  they can have loans in the meantime.