Whether Lucas Digne’s eldest son, Isaho, a fervent Paris Saint-Germain supporter, was privy to the secret remains unknown. In a matter of days, the 32-year-old Aston Villa left-back will make his highly anticipated return to the French capital, eleven years after his initial departure. A three-year contract awaits him. This surprising transfer, first reported by English media on Monday morning, began to take shape roughly four weeks ago.
For several months, Luis Campos, seeking a backup for Nuno Mendes, had primarily focused on acquiring a younger player. Consequently, the pursuit of Lucas Digne initially progressed slowly. The question for Parisian management was whether signing a 19-to-22-year-old made sense when Nuno Mendes himself is only 24. The answer to this strategic query is now clear. The former Lille player’s profile proved highly appealing: French, experienced, and affordable, with a release clause reportedly under €10 million. He is a professional capable of consistently performing at a high level. Crucially, Digne is also a player well-known to Luis Enrique, having played under him at Barcelona during the 2016-2017 season, featuring in 26 matches.
He aims to be a mentor for Nuno Mendes
The Parisian coach greatly valued the young Frenchman’s mindset during their time together and recognizes the daily demands on the international left-back, who boasts 62 caps and is regarded as a consummate professional. The decision to accelerate discussions for this transfer was made approximately three weeks ago. Digne, for his part, after eight years and 253 Premier League appearances, and having received interest from clubs like Nottingham Forest and Saudi teams last winter, quickly embraced the prospect of returning to a two-time European champion club. He privately expressed a desire to “come full circle” in a familiar setting, albeit with significantly different resources than those available during his initial spell from 2013 to 2016 (which included a loan to Roma in the 2015-2016 season).
Ironically, just a few months prior, Digne had privately envisioned himself contributing to Nuno Mendes’s development into the world’s premier left-back, potentially embracing a “big brother” role – without foreseeing his own return. In Paris, Digne will reunite with several French internationals, including Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé. He maintains excellent relationships with these players, particularly the Ballon d’Or winner among them. The native of northern France had not discussed his contacts with the capital club with them. It was in their Dallas hotel rooms this Monday morning that they learned of the impending signing, leading to some good-natured teasing.
Just months ago, Digne surprised his son for his birthday with tickets to a PSG-Toulouse match at the Parc des Princes. The defender cherished the experience from the stands, watching alongside his son. Soon, Isaho could witness his father on the very pitch of the Parc des Princes, proudly wearing the jersey of his favorite club.