The 31-year-old joined us from Everton in January 2022, and he has since gone on to make 138 appearances for the club, contributing four goals and 17 assists to go with his defensive duties.
_**READ MORE: [Loanee open to permanent Villa move but key terms touted](https://talk-villa.com/aston-villa-transfer-news-marcus-rashford-permanent-move-update/)**_
His reliability and consistency has been a huge boost for Unai Emery since he was appointed, as although there were initial doubts over whether the Frenchman would be able to establish himself under the Villa boss, he has gone on to fend off competition from summer signing Ian Maatsen to remain a pivotal part of our plans.
However, the expectation is that Maatsen will become our long-term first-choice left-back, and with Digne set to enter the final 12 months of his contract with Villa, question marks have been raised over his future at the club as a decision will likely be needed this summer to determine which direction he goes in.
If the club believe that he can still play a crucial role for us and the terms of a new deal make sense in relation to managing our wage bill, then hopefully a new agreement is reached to extend Digne’s time with us.
Conversely, at 31 and reportedly as one of the higher earners at Villa, the management team may feel it’s the right time to move him on and clear the path for Maatsen, while bringing in a younger and cheaper option to provide depth and competition.
Based on his comments below, Digne doesn’t know himself what the future holds at the moment, but he is certainly pleased with how his time at Villa has gone thus far, and is fully focused on our remaining two Premier League games of the campaign as we attempt to qualify for the Champions League in consecutive seasons.
_**“When I chose to join Villa, I saw a big project,” he told [FootMercato](https://www.footmercato.net/a341700593105807726-lucas-digne-je-suis-heureux-a-aston-villa-mais-il-ne-me-reste-quun-an-de-contrat). “I came here to help a very great and historic club return to the top of English football and return to Europe. My dream was to bring back to the fans the exceptional European nights at Villa Park and we have done it. These nights are magical and I am proud that we have achieved it. Personally, I missed playing in Europe since leaving Barcelona, as I wanted to try to play in the Premier League. I am happy that we can play at the highest level and succeed. Villa is a great club with an impressive history. It is an incredible feeling to be able to offer these European nights to our fans and share them together.**_
_**“I’m happy at Aston Villa, but I only have one year left on my contract, so I don’t know what will happen in my next chapter. I’m not thinking about it, because I only have one goal: I just want to finish the season well, enjoy my football, always work hard and give the best of myself so that my team continues to be successful.”**_
Digne went on to assess his own performance this year, and he believes that he’s playing the best and most consistent football of his career to date, and it’s hard to disagree with him as he’s been a key figure in Emery’s side throughout the campaign.
Both he and Maatsen offer different characteristics in the left-back role, as he perhaps has superior defensive qualities while his Dutch teammate gives us something different offensively, and so they’ve both been used effectively by Emery as the season has unfolded.
However, it does feel as though something will budge this summer, and with Digne’s contract situation, it remains to be seen if it’s the French international who is ultimately moved on after what has been a very productive spell at Villa. Time will tell if that’s the case, and Digne will no doubt be looking to prove a point in any remaining playing time he has this season.
_**“Personally, I really enjoyed this season… and yes, I appreciate my statistics in defense and attack, because these two aspects are important for a left-back,” he added. “I feel like I’m at my best as a footballer and with experience, you become a smarter player.**_
_**“I feel like I’m playing the best football of my career. I’m constantly improving. It’s a great feeling to keep improving thanks to experience, optimal physical condition and the thirst for success for the team. I loved this season, whether with Aston Villa or with France. I think I’ve played 50 matches this season, for club and country, but even though it’s late in the season, my legs are still fresh and I love playing football, so I don’t need a summer break.”**_