Arsenal have finally stepped up their business in the summer transfer window with real intent.
They have already completed the signings of Christos Tzolis, Illan Meslier and Piero Hincapie.
Bruno Guimaraes also appears increasingly close to becoming the next marquee arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have no intention of slowing down and are now preparing another ambitious move in the transfer market.
According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa are braced for a fresh bid from Arsenal for England defender Ezri Konsa.
Villa remain determined to tie the defender down to a new contract, but Arsenal are equally determined to bring him to North London.
The Midlands club reportedly value Konsa at around £60 million, although Arsenal will hope to negotiate a significantly lower fee.
Villa manager Unai Emery would prefer to keep Konsa for the upcoming campaign, especially after the departures of key players such as Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne.
William Saliba sustained a back injury against Spain in the FIFA World Cup semi-final.
He will not undergo surgery but is expected to be out of action for an extended period.
That setback has forced Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to prioritise the signing of another top-class centre-back.
Konsa is a fantastic ball-playing centre-back. He recorded a passing accuracy of 95 percent last term and won 67 percent of his duels.
He will turn 29 this October, making it more difficult for Arsenal to justify meeting the £60m valuation.
The Gunners are already expected to invest around £75m in Bruno Guimaraes, who belongs to a similar age bracket.
Villa are unlikely to lower their demands easily and could point to Arsenal’s willingness to spend heavily on experienced players as justification for maintaining their valuation.
Stats from Fotmob.com