The Villans' boss Unai Emery leaned heavily on Digne throughout last season, handing him the nod for 32 Premier League outings and 11 appearances in Villa's triumphant Europa League run, including the showpiece final itself. Yet for all that regular game time, the club's long-term planning at left-back centres on Ian Maatsen, the 24-year-old understudy who has emerged as the preferred option going forward.
That shift in thinking is already shaping Villa's transfer business, with the club holding discussions with AC Milan over a deal for Pervis Estupinan, formerly of Brighton, as they look to add further depth behind Maatsen.