Four reasons why Lucas Digne chose Aston Villa over Chelsea and other interested clubs

Lucas Digne is set to join Aston Villa from Everton in a £25m deal, snubbing interest from Chelsea and other Premier League clubs.

According to reports from talkSPORT, Villa are close to signing the Frenchman for £25m from the Merseyside outfit after personal terms were agreed.

The 28-year-old has had plenty of interest for his signature after falling out with Everton boss Rafa Benitez, with Chelsea, Newcastle United and Villa all fighting for him.

But why has Digne opted to choose the Midlands clubs over Thomas Tuchel’s side?

Admiration

The left-back is said to be an admirer of Villa boss Steven Gerrard as per The Daily Mail, a key factor to why he has opted to join them over the Blues.

Villa transfer business

Former Liverpool midfielder and teammate of Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho has sealed a loan move to Villa park until the end of the season, with an option for the club to sign the Brazilian.

A move such as this could’ve pushed Digne in the direction of the Midlands outfit due to the ambition they are showing, while Chelsea are yet to bring a player in during the January transfer window.

Game-time

A switch to the Blues would’ve more than likely meant less game-time for the 28-year-old than the proposed move to Villa.

Tuchel first-choice left-back is Marcos Alonso, who has played in 15 of their 21 Premier League matches this season.

The Spaniard is expected to play regularly in that position, unless unfit, due to Ben Chilwell suffering an ACL injury and ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.

Digne would also face competition for the left-back spot at Villa, with Matt Targett deployed there, however, given the former’s experience at club and international level, Gerrad would likely favour him over the latter.

Formation familiarity

Prior to Benitez’s arrival at Everton, Digne was used mainly in a four-man defence under Carlo Ancelotti, something his potential new team also favours.

Gerrard, who has been in charge of Villa since November, uses a 4-3-3 formation since taking the reins in the Midlands and the prospect of playing in a four-man defence again, as opposed to the 3-4-3 formation used at Chelsea, might have swung the Frenchman in the direction of the one-time European Cup winners.