Ivan Perisic is on the wrong side of thirty and Inter Milan are now scampering for a replacement as the Croatian’s contract expires in the summer. The Serie A champions have reached knocked on the door of Everton in search of a replacement and are evaluating Lucas Digne as an option.
The fallout between Lucas Digne and Rafa Benitez followed by Everton’s acquisition of Vitaliy Mykolenko has raised serious concerns over Digne’s future. The Frenchman hasn’t played since the Merseyside derby, being left out by Benitez for two games and being ill for one game.
With Mykolenko’s arrival, Digne’s stay at Goodison Park seems to be coming to an end. The 28 year old has signed a new deal in February 2021, expressing his ambition to take Everton back to Europe and play in the European competitions but with Everton not even close to achieving the goal, Digne may now be inclined to leave especially after the eroding of the relationship with Benitez.
Everton paid £18 million to Barcelona in 2018 and since then Digne has been a fantastic performer for the Toffees, emerging as one of the best left backs in the Premier League. If Everton are to sell Digne, they’ll be hoping to earn a big profit on the sale to bolster the treasury.
Inter Milan join race for Everton left back Lucas Digne
Digne has a long list of suitors across Europe. Chelsea is in the hunt for the 28 year old and had formulated a loan plus option to buy deal for £21.3 million. Juventus too have expressed interest in Digne, regarding him as a successor to Alex Sandro who will enter the final year of his Juve contract at the end of the season. In fact, the Old Lady have established contact with the representatives of Digne.
Another Serie A giant has entered the mix. According to Tutto Mercato Web, Inter Milan have identified two options for replacing Perisic. The Serie A champions are looking at Mohamed Fares of Lazio who is on loan at Genoa and Everton full back Digne.
Now, Digne is not a like for like replacement but his attacking output and the ability to play as a wing back in a 3-5-2, gives Simeone Inzaghi a lot of option on the left flank. The Nerazzurri will be open to offering a loan deal in January with an option for redemption in the summer but the report adds that such a structure wont excite the teams who own the aforementioned targets.
The Toffees have spent €20 million on Mykolenko and would want to recoup the maximum amount through Digne’s sale. Other players like Cenk Tosun may also be offloaded to make sure that the Profit and Sustainability rules aren’t breached.
Digne’s output has been impressive and as the January window opens, more teams may start to take interest and launch offers for the France international.
Will Lucas Digne leave Everton and join a Serie A side?