Arsenal are focused on another signing alongside Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners have made a solitary new outfield signing in Christos Tzolis this summer. The Greek winger has already impressed in pre-season.
Arsenal are currently in advanced negotiations with Newcastle for Guimaraes, and the Brazilian star is likely to undergo his medical soon.
The club are working on a deal for Vinicius too, and The Athletic add that a defender could also be signed to compensate for William Saliba’s absence.
The French central defender has been ruled out for an ‘extended period‘ due to a back injury, and the Gunners are eager to add cover to fill the void.
Arsenal could pursue a deal for an experienced centre-back
The Gunners have a huge void to fill in the heart of the backline following an untimely setback for Saliba. He could be out of action for at least four months.
Cristhian Mosquera was Saliba’s immediate backup for the right-footed right central defensive role last term, and he had a relatively good debut campaign.
Still, he is inexperienced and has been prone to some needless fouls. He gave away a costly penalty in the Champions League final, operating as a right-back.
Arsenal may want another reliable right-footed central defender in the squad, given Ben White and Jurrien Timber are viewed as specialist right-backs.
Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa comes to mind first. The Englishman had a terrific 2025/26 season with the Villans and helped them finish fourth in the Premier League and lift the Europa League title.
He had an impressive passing accuracy of 95 percent in the league and won almost 70 percent of his duels. He was equally good in clearing his lines and making ball recoveries.
Arsenal currently value him at £30-35 million, compared to Villa’s £60m price tag.
The centre-back ‘would like to join’ the Gunners, and the club could make a late push to negotiate a lesser fee. They could be prepared to commit £45m with £5m in add-ons for him, in our view.
The price is on the higher side for a player who will be 29 in October, but the current inflated nature of the transfer market means the Gunners must pay a premium fee for Konsa’s services.
Stats from Sofascore.com