Abdoulaye Doucoure insists Everton should never have sold Lucas Digne | OneFootball

Abdoulaye Doucoure has been reflecting on his time at Everton after following his move to Saudi Pro League club NEOM SC in the summer.

The Frenchman spent five years with Everton and was a key player despite playing under five different permanent managers.

He has fond memories of his time at the club, but believes the decision to sell left-back Lucas Digne to Aston Villa in January 2022 after a row with Rafa Benitez was a huge mistake.

“Lucas was one of the best left-backs in the league,” the former Everton star told The Athletic.

“When I saw that, I was like, ‘How can they let someone like that leave the club like this just because of a falling out?’ It made no sense because Lucas loved the club and would not have left for Villa.”

Digne joined Everton from Barcelona in August 2018, playing 127 times before a fallout with Benitez.

There was a disagreement with the former Blues boss over tactics and his role in the team, and the club decided to let him go.

The Spaniard was sacked just three days after Digne joined Villa, and he could have remained at the club if the decision had been made earlier.

The 32-year-old has gone on to play 147 games for the Midlands club, and while Everton are not missing him, having such an experienced defender within their ranks would have come in handy.

The Toffees have moved on and will hope to make better transfer decisions going forward as they look to establish themselves as regulars in European competitions.