Former Everton midfielder Olivier Dacourt has questioned whether Lucas Digne’s departure is in the best interests of the club.
Digne has completed his transfer to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, understood to be £25million.
The 28-year-old last played for Everton in the 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool on December 1 with manager Rafa Benitez claiming last week that the left-back no longer wanted to play for the club.
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Speaking courtesy of 101greatgoals, Digne’s fellow Frenchman Dacourt told the ECHO: “Lucas Digne has been at Everton for three-and-a-half years.
"The fans know what he brings, he’s a good player, he’s professional and sometimes when a new manager joins, he’ll stay for just six months or one year and he’ll stop the career of someone who loves the club.
“In any work environment, you can make somebody or break somebody. I’m not saying the motive behind it is purely personal, but it could be so simple as they don’t like each other or have a connection.
“What is most important is the interest of the club. Lucas Digne has been captain, he loves the club and maybe he’ll go to a rival and the manager will be sacked three weeks later.
“Who is more important? The chairman needs to look after the interests of the club and which players can make the most impact. That's my view anyway as I’ve been in this situation before.”