da spicy bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
da fezbet： Everton’s recruitment over the past couple of years has been hit and miss, to say the least. The signing of Richarlison for £50m has so far worked a treat, with his 13 league goals last season hinting he has an incredibly bright future on Merseyside. However, some signings like Moise Kean for £27.5m and Cenk Tosun for £27m have been a waste of money up until this point.
On the other hand, there is one man who has proved to be an almighty signing – left-back Lucas Digne.
The £27m-rated star has been an incredible addition for Everton and even won the Club’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the year awards in his debut season.
Now, as Everton continue to struggle this campaign, the merits of Marcel Brands’ decision continue to come to the fore. This season, Digne has three league assists for the club, which is just one less than the amount he achieved last year.
Most recently, the former Barcelona man delivered a sweet pass to Tosun, who headed home a 97th-minute equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur. Plus, with Digne still only 26 years old, there could be many more years left to come from the Frenchman on Merseyside.
Also, when you consider the costs of other left-backs around Europe over the years, it has truly turned out to be a monumental signing from Brands. Players such as Benjamin Mendy have cost Manchester City £52m, whilst Ferland Mendy cost Real Madrid £47m.
On the other hand, Digne cost just £18m and has averaged more crosses per game than any other Everton player with 2.3 per game. On top of this, the defender has also averaged an impressive 2.6 key passes per league match, which is the highest of any player residing within the Toffees squad this season.
In truth, it was always going to be tough to replace Leighton Baines, who was so fantastic for many years at left-back.
However, it seems Brands has come close with this magnificent signing.