Arsenal in Talks to Sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa
Arsenal are closing in on one of their priority defensive targets, with talks at an advanced stage to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.
The London club have tracked the England international all summer. Villa initially slapped a £60m price tag on the 28-year-old, a figure Arsenal were not prepared to meet, but negotiations have continued and a compromise is now being worked on.
Konsa, who has two years left on his Villa deal, has emerged as a key piece in Mikel Arteta’s plan to reinforce a back line already stretched before a ball has been kicked in the Premier League.
The duel specialist Arteta wants
Ask Arteta what he values in a defender and one trait comes up again and again: winning duels. On that front, nobody in the Premier League did it better than Konsa last season.
He won more ground duels than any other player in the division, finishing well clear of even Virgil van Dijk and Gabriel – the latter likely to be his partner if the move goes through. It is the kind of profile Arsenal’s manager has consistently leaned towards: aggressive, front-foot defenders who can dominate one-on-one and still step into midfield when required.
Arsenal’s need is obvious. William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are both sidelined, ripping two high-level options out of the defensive rotation. Arteta wants someone who can operate at centre-back and right-back without the system losing its shape. Konsa fits that brief.
Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White can both cover those roles and impressed in the Community Shield win over Manchester City, but White’s injury record across the last two seasons has forced Arsenal to think hard about depth. They have already been burned by being one body short.
The Champions League final underlined that problem. With PSG unavailable in his natural role, Mosquera was pushed into an uncomfortable position at right-back and ended up conceding a penalty. It was a harsh lesson on the cost of thin margins and thin squads.
If Arsenal get Konsa over the line, a major part of their defensive puzzle falls into place. From an incomings perspective, they would be close to calling this window complete at the back.
The lingering question? Whether they can now find the forward they have been chasing all summer.
Arteta’s ambition: “the best club in the world”
Arteta’s transfer drive is tied to a wider vision. Fresh from a Premier League title and a commanding 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City, he has no interest in easing off.
"It's certainly the ambition of the club and the owners to be the best club in the world," he told Sky Sports at the league’s launch event before Friday night’s opener against Coventry.
To get there, he spelled out the checklist: the best facilities, the best stadium, the best supporters – and crucially, the best squad and the best players. Those, he said, are the ones who decide matches and define seasons. Konsa, in Arteta’s mind, would be another step towards that standard.
Arsenal start the campaign as outright favourites to retain their title. The tag sits comfortably with their manager.
"This is part of our industry, and that's okay," he said. What matters more to him is what he sees when he looks his players in the eye: “that fire, that desire and the will to be better every single day.”
History, though, is not on Arsenal’s side. They have not successfully defended a top-flight crown since the 1930s. Arteta sees that not as a burden, but as a target.
"That's an opportunity that we have ahead, and we are very conscious of what it's going to take to deliver that," he said. He spoke of ambition, desire, ability and conviction running through the squad.
If Konsa walks through the doors at London Colney in the coming days, Arsenal will be another step closer to matching those words with the kind of depth a champion needs. The next move, as ever in this window, is up front.
