:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46926702/GettyImages-451225908.0.jpg)
At this point in time, we simply have no idea what's going on with Roma's fullbacks. Maicon was a man reborn in 2013-2014 then a man undone last season, Ashley Cole has been a disappointment, albeit an underutilized one, while Alessandro Florenzi has done an admirable job playing out of position. For the past two years Roma has, for lack of a better phrase, made the best out of a bad situation. Now with rumors that Maicon and Cole might be released from their contracts, Roma are really in scramble mode.
The first name to fill those new blanks appears to be PSGs 22-year-old star in the making Lucas Digne. We spoke about Digne briefly last week, and while he may not be the second coming of Philipp Lahm, he's as bright a prospect at the position in the game today, and it seems as though he's all but a Roma player.
Multiple sources indicate that Digne is set for a Roma medical on Monday afternoon, though there is no word how many thousands of people will be there to greet him. It is believed Roma will take on the young left back on an initial €1.5 million loan with a further option to buy next summer set at €16.5 million.
While €18 million is a hefty price to pay for a young fullback, given the way the market is moving, if they can lock him down at that price on a four or five year deal, Roma might be ahead in the game. There is currently no consensus on whether or not that option is mandatory, but it's not like Roma is bursting at the seams with fullbacks, so it's not hard to imagine the club picking that option up and adding it to next summer's enormous transfer bill.
Digne is steady and composed on the ball, he's fantastic in the air and he's a hell of a crosser; all qualities one craves from a fullback and all qualities Roma desperately needs. At this point in his career, Digne isn't a flashy player who will pile on the goals from the wing, but his passing and ability to get forward will be a boon to Edin Dzeko, while his solid defensive skills should shore up that left flank when Radja Nainggolan forges ahead or when Gervinho simply forgets to track back.
Walter Sabatini is deferring an awful lot of decisions and a ton of money for next summer, but with his pedigree and early success, Digne figures to be one of his safer gambles.