Arsenal agree £51m deal for Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, medical set for Thursday
Arsenal have agreed a £51m deal plus add-ons with Aston Villa for Ezri Konsa, according to The Athletic. The 28-year-old England international said goodbye to his Villa team-mates on Wednesday and is set to undergo a medical on Thursday.
This move comes after Villa had previously rejected a £30m bid from Arsenal as they tried to get a £60m valuation. Talks progressed once conversations opened at ownership level, allowing the deal to move quickly toward completion.
Arsenal's need for a new centre-back became urgent after injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Saliba is facing a lengthy spell out with a back problem that had bothered him since last season and finally forced him off during France's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. With both first-choice options sidelined, Mikel Arteta identified Konsa as the player best placed to step straight into the side.
Konsa was not the only defensive option Arsenal considered. The Athletic reported on Friday that the club also looked at Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah, though Konsa's Premier League experience and tactical versatility made him the priority.
Konsa arrives having started every England match at this summer's World Cup before their semi-final loss to Argentina, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in that game. He made over 280 appearances for Villa since joining from Brentford in 2019, and was part of the side that won the Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League last season. He is currently in the final two years of the five-year contract extension he signed in September 2023.
