By Ewah Chika.
Although the €16 million signing of Lucas Digne by Barcelona is celebrated by the Camp Nou fans, it is rather shocking how the 23-year-old flopped in PSG after moving to the capital club from Lille in 2013 for €15 million.
In Barcelona Digne is primarily seen as a second choice considering the form of Jordi Alba who arrived from Valencia in 2012. Alba (27) has been the first choice at Barcelona playing more than 27
league games since his signing except the 2013/2014 season where he was injured.
Last season considering he wasn't assured first team action, Digne was sent on loan to Roma where he played In over 27 Seria A games as Luciano Spalletti's side finished 3rd and secured Champions League football last season. The French man is not highly rated in PSG as the likes of Maxwell and Layvin Kurzawa are ahead of him in the pecking order.
The good news for Barcelona is that Digne is experienced at his tender age having made his debut for Les Blues aged 21 in 2014 in a 2-0 friendly win over Netherlands. The youngster also has the experience of participating in both FIFA World Cup and European Competition though he never saw game time in the later due to the excellent form of veteran Patrice Evra. In PSG , Digne has been unable to displace veteran Brazilian Maxwell who is already 34. The French man had his chance to displace the Brazilian in the 2014/2015 season as the Brazilian was enjoying an extended break after the World Cup which he did not take as he flopped in the Brazilian's absence, providing the attacking threat required upfront but consistently disappointing defensively.
Digne however will excel in a team that prefers crosses on the air as he did in games that Edison Cavani led the line and sadly this is at odds with Barcelona who love possession football. Another problem with the youngster's signing is his inability to concentrate throughout the duration of the game as he switches off and on consistently during games, losing possession and attacking excessively with little or no caution.
The French man is exceptional though having made over 100 French Ligue 1 and Seria A appearances at the age of 22 scoring five goals. The defender is one that has a lot of energy with his runs from the left flank a delight to watch. He is also a ball playing defender who loves the ball on his feet and can press high up the pitch especially when his team losses possession. The signing of the French man is one for the future and considering that he has so much experience at his tender age which is rare is enough to forgive his inability to make the starting eleven in PSG .
With his signing Barcelona looks to have solved their left-back problem which has been persistent at the Camp Nou since the likes of Thomas Vermalen and Jeremy Matthieu who can play in the left-back position consistently injured most of the time . Finally , the French man is also an upgrade on Brazilian Adriano and will have ample time to develop and progress in Camp Nou.
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