Aston Villa had a busy January transfer window, with a number of players coming in and out of the doors during Steven Gerrard’s first window in charge.
And one of the moves the Villans made was bringing Lucas Digne to Villa Park for a fee in the region of £27m from fellow Premier League side Everton.
Who would you prefer starting for Villa?
Lucas Digne
Matt Targett
However, this did mean the left-back that Gerrard inherited at the club, Matt Targett, was then reduced to becoming Digne’s backup, which saw the 26-year-old leave on loan for Newcastle United until the end of the season.
In recent weeks, the form of the two sides have gone in opposite directions, so we have delved into the stats of the two left-backs since joining their new clubs to see who perhaps has made the better move.
Targetting safety
Targett joined up with Eddie Howe’s Magpies in the January window with the Toon setting their sights on maintaining their Premier League status as they battle against the threat of relegation.
The £15.3m-rated ace has now played 180 minutes of Premier League football for Newcastle, which have seen the Magpies pick up four points from a possible six.
In those two games played by Targett, the left-back has completed four successful tackles and five successful blocks, with the Toon conceding one goal in each of the two games (via FBRef).
In terms of the attacking threat, Targett has provided an average of three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes since making the move to St. James’ Park, in which Howe’s men have scored four goals (via FBRef).
And his new manager, Howe, has been delighted with his start to life on Tyneside:
“I think in the two performances he’s given, he’s been very, very confident and slipped into the team very impressively. He used the ball well, I thought he attacked well,” said the 44-year-old after the draw against West Ham United.
Trust in Digne?
It has not been the ideal start for Digne at Villa Park, with Gerrard’s men winning just one of their five league games since he made the move from Everton.
However, the one league game in which he was on the winning side, ironically, came against the Toffees, where he was able to provide the assist for the winning goal.
Much like Targett, the Frenchman boasts an impressive shot creation record since signing for Villa, as he just pips the Villa loanee with an average of 3.2 shots created per appearance – an improvement on his stats for Everton (via FBRef).
Digne has played an extra three league games than Targett and does boast more successful tackles, with seven to his name since joining Villa. He also has a higher average for key passes and tackles per game, total duels won, successful dribbles and clearances per game compared to Targett.
After what was a promising start for the 28-year-old, it seems Villa’s recent form has also hindered his own displays, which has led to Digne being labelled as ‘pretty average’ in their recent defeat against Watford by the Birmingham Mail.
Who should Gerrard choose?
Targett has certainly had an impressive start to his time at St. James’ Park, however, Digne has a long history in the Premier League of proving to be a real attacking threat.
On a number of occasions, the Frenchman has been able to provide as many as seven assists in the Premier League during his time with Everton (via Transfermarkt).
And the most assists Targett has been able to provide in a single season across his career is three, which could be a big concern for Gerrard if he is aiming to provide a real attacking threat from the full-backs, which has often been his style.
However, that isn’t the only department Digne trumps him in as he boasts some impressive numbers defensively, as mentioned above.
Indeed, we think it is likely that the £27m-rated star’s spot in the side will not be under question come the summer, however, could Targett’s impressive form boost his transfer value for Villa to cash in during the next window?
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