“I’ve been told that Digne does not want to leave and is very happy at the club so that would point towards Moreno leaving”- Alex Moreno sale at Aston Villa expected amid LaLiga interest as pundit claims Villa will sanction sale of at least one left back following Maatsen signing

Dan Bardell believes that Aston Villa could sell Alex Moreno or Lucas Digne if they sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea this summer.

Fabrizio Romano has reported (23 June) that the Dutchman has completed a medical ahead of a move to Villa Park for £37.5million.

This would see the 22-year-old come in as a left-back option, leaving Unai Emery with three candidates in that position as it stands. Sky Sports and talkSPORT journalist Bardell has assessed who Villa could look to sell this summer to accommodate Maatsen.

Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “If Maatsen does sign then one of them has to go.

“Villa tried to move Digne on 12 months ago but he’s happy at the club and decided that he wanted to stay and he went on to play a lot of football in the end.

“Moreno’s been a good signing and was great in that first half-season before injuries set him back last season.

“I’ve been told that Digne does not want to leave and is very happy at the club so that would point towards Moreno leaving. I know there has been interest from Spain.

“I don’t think either will want to leave but Moreno seems to be the easiest one to shift but Villa would probably prefer Digne just because of his wages and age.“

If the Villans complete a deal for Maatsen then they will need to shift some players out of the club to raise funds and not have a bloated squad. Although having squad depth is going to be necessary this season, having three people who want starting minutes at left-back isn’t positive.

Moreno appears to be the option who could be easier to move on this summer given that he is on lesser wages compared to the Frenchman.

There is likely to be interest from Spain in the full-back, who Villa signed from Real Betis in January 2023. He had his troubles with injury last season which was frustrating for fans who wanted to see the best of him like in his opening six months.

Digne had a positive campaign last time out after being heavily linked with a move away so staying for another season won’t be a surprise. Maatsen represents a great piece of business but it does make for a difficult situation for Emery and Monchi this summer.