In recent months, Luis Campos, tasked with finding a suitable backup for Nuno Mendes, had primarily focused on acquiring younger talent. Consequently, the pursuit of Lucas Digne initially faced some deliberation. Does it truly make sense to recruit a player aged 19 to 22 when Nuno Mendes himself is only 24? The Parisian leadership’s resolution to this query is now apparent. The former Lille player’s profile is particularly compelling: he is French, highly experienced, and comes at a reasonable price, featuring a release clause below €10 million. Digne is a professional capable of consistently delivering high-level performances. Furthermore, he is a player intimately familiar to Luis Enrique, having been coached by him at Barcelona during the 2016-2017 season, where he featured in 26 matches.

He aims to be a big brother figure to Nuno Mendes

The Parisian coach held the young Frenchman’s mindset in high regard during their time together and is well aware of the rigorous daily commitment required from the international left-back, who boasts 62 caps and is considered a true professional. The decision to accelerate discussions for this transfer was made approximately three weeks ago. For his part, after dedicating eight years and accumulating 253 Premier League appearances, the former Lille star – who had attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Saudi clubs last winter – quickly embraced the prospect of returning to a club that has achieved double European champion status. He recently confided a private ambition to “come full circle” in a familiar setting, albeit with significantly different resources than those available during his initial spell from 2013 to 2016 (which included a loan stint at Roma during the 2015-2016 season).

Ironically, just a few months ago, Digne had privately contemplated playing a role in Nuno Mendes’s ascent to becoming the world’s best left-back – without, at the time, foreseeing his own return to the club. He envisioned himself potentially taking on a mentorship role. In Paris, Digne will be reunited with several French internationals: Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé, particularly the Ballon d’Or winner, with whom he shares excellent relationships. The northern Frenchman had not discussed these contacts with the capital club with his compatriots. It was in their hotel rooms in Dallas this Monday morning that they discovered the imminent signing, prompting some good-natured banter.