Aston Villa can't afford to let go of another starting player, least of all Ezri Konsa to Arsenal
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa(Image: PA)
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While selling players is inevitably part of Aston Villa’s strategy to remain competitive at the top of the Premier League and in Europe, there should only be one outcome if Ezri Konsa is to leave in the final month of the summer transfer window: a ridiculous transfer fee.
Courted by Arsenal as they seek cover for the injured William Saliba, Konsa has two years remaining on his Villa contract and is now a key defender for both club and country. Under Thomas Tuchel, Konsa started seven of England’s eight World Cup matches, with the only game he did not start being the semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Signed from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2019, Konsa has become a Villa legend. He has played a pivotal role in the club’s recent rise and lifted the Europa League last season, making his 286th appearance for the club in the process.
Indeed, should Konsa remain at Villa this summer, he would likely move into the club’s top four appearance-makers of the Premier League era. Among the current squad, only John McGinn (233) has made more Premier League appearances for Villa than the defender (231).
The face of the Villa squad has already changed significantly in recent weeks, with Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans both departing, while Morgan Rogers has completed a big-money move to Chelsea.
Villa have replaced Tielemans with João Gomes and brought in Johan Manzambi following Rogers’ departure, while Pervis Estupiñán has emerged as the primary target to fill the void left by Digne’s move to Paris Saint-Germain. With Alejandro Garnacho also arriving on loan with a conditional obligation to buy, the success of Villa’s summer window will only truly be judged in the months ahead.
However, allowing Konsa to leave would turn what is already a potentially challenging summer into a far riskier one than it needs to be.
Villa’s stance on Emi Martínez is that he is not for sale, at least not for the price Juventus were prepared to pay. Given Arsenal’s valuation of Konsa currently falls well short of Villa’s own assessment, supporters will hope that remains the case.
Konsa’s importance to the Villa squad was unquestionable before the transfer window opened, and it has only increased following the departures of three regular starters.
The centre-back turns 29 in October and is clearly due a new contract. However, if he is unwilling to sign fresh terms, Villa may feel this summer represents their best opportunity to maximise his value. Even then, this transfer window has shown that players entering the final 12 months of their contracts can still command substantial fees.
Jan Paul van Hecke, while an accomplished Premier League defender, is not at Konsa’s level and joined Tottenham Hotspur for £52 million. That would surely place Konsa’s valuation at a minimum of £60 million. Although he is older than the Dutchman, his proven quality and importance to this Villa side makes him even more valuable.
From Konsa’s perspective, Arsenal would undoubtedly be an attractive proposition, provided he received assurances over his role once Saliba returns from injury. Equally, that does not mean he would be unwilling to commit his future to Villa by signing a new contract, especially if the club demonstrate just how highly they value him.
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John Townley
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