Ezri Konsa can solve an immediate problem for Arsenal, but his likely role once William Saliba returns makes the eventual fee important.
Arsenal are moving closer to securing Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, a transfer that would at last provide Mikel Arteta with the defensive reinforcement he has spent much of August trying to find.
Talks between Arsenal and Villa are beginning to gather pace, with The Athletic reporting further progress as both clubs work to finalise a deal for the England international. Konsa’s return from holiday earlier this week seems to have accelerated negotiations, and with the transfer window closing soon, both sides feel a sense of urgency.
Villa’s £60 million asking price has remained a sticking point.
There are clear reasons why Arsenal want Konsa, but just as many arguments for not simply meeting Villa’s demands at any cost.
Saliba Injury Has Increased Arsenal’s Need
Arsenal go into the new Premier League season with more concern in defence than anywhere else in the squad.
William Saliba remains sidelined after aggravating a back injury with France at the World Cup, and Jurrien Timber is still working his way back from a groin problem. While Arsenal’s interest in Konsa predates these setbacks, both injuries have certainly heightened the need to bring in another defender before the window closes.
Cristhian Mosquera lined up alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in Sunday’s 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City and produced an impressive performance as Arsenal kept a clean sheet.
Afterwards, Arteta was clear about Arsenal’s position in the summer window.
“We know that there are certain areas that through injuries we are weaker and we need to strengthen,” he said. “We are trying to do that. We’ve been trying to do that for weeks.”
Last season offered plenty of evidence as to why.
Ben White and Timber both suffered injuries as Arsenal closed out their Premier League-winning campaign, eventually leaving Mosquera to start at right-back in the Champions League final. Arsenal had enough quality to get through the season, but Arteta was regularly having to move defenders around to cover another absence.
It is exactly this issue that another signing could help to solve.
Konsa Offers More Than Centre-Back Cover
Konsa would not just be a stopgap alongside Gabriel until Saliba returns.
Primarily a centre-back, he has regularly filled in at right-back for Aston Villa and England and started England’s World Cup quarter-final there this summer. That immediately gives Arteta options on the side of the defence where two of his most important players are currently unavailable.
There is also a physical dimension to Konsa’s appeal.
No Arsenal centre-back recorded a top speed above 33 km/h across the Premier League and European competition last season. Konsa reached 33.26 km/h, a recovery speed useful when Arsenal's defensive line frequently leaves their centre-backs with space behind them to defend, particularly when Arteta’s side are pushing opponents deep into their own half. Recovery pace doesn't tell you everything about a defender, but it is a useful quality in that system.
He brings enough pace, along with Premier League experience and the versatility to cover multiple positions.
Konsa's versatility saw him start at right-back in England's World Cup quarter-final then at centre-back in their Bronze Medal match [IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters]
Konsa's versatility saw him start at right-back in England's World Cup quarter-final then at centre-back in their Bronze Medal match [IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters]
Konsa may not match Saliba’s athleticism as a whole, but when we’re talking about one of the top centre-backs in the world, that’s no surprise.
White can move into central defence, but Timber’s absence currently makes him Arteta’s main senior option at right-back. Mosquera can play on the right side of central defence, with Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori giving Arsenal further flexibility on the other side, along with Myles Lewis-Skelly should he be needed.
The addition of Konsa would let Arteta address one injury without shuffling the rest of his defence and risking new problems.
Arsenal’s Konsa Interest Goes Back Almost a Decade
Arsenal first expressed an interest in him in January 2017 when he was still a teenager coming through at Charlton Athletic, so they are familiar with his game.
Much has changed since then. Konsa moved to Brentford, then Aston Villa, establishing himself in the Premier League and earning a place in the England squad. Arsenal, meanwhile, have changed managers, overhauled their recruitment structure, and gone from chasing a Champions League return to competing in the competition's final.
Arsenal have not suddenly identified a defender because they found themselves short in August. The current situation just accelerates a move for a player they have admired over time. Now, aged 28, the quality he provides is clearer.
Konsa has played Premier League football since joining Villa in 2019 and has become an established England international. Arsenal would be getting someone capable of stepping straight into Arteta’s side rather than a young defender who might need a season to grow into the role.
Arsenal Still Need To Get The Right Deal
The football case is fairly straightforward for the Gunners, the financial side is far less clear-cut.
If Arsenal do sign Konsa, his path into the team is clearer while Saliba and Timber are out. The real question is what happens when both are fit again – and that is why the price tag begins to loom larger
A fully fit Arsenal defence still has Saliba and Gabriel as its established centre-back partnership. Timber has become one of Arteta’s strongest options at right-back, while White has spent several seasons in that position and can also play centrally.
Konsa would need to accept that his role at Arsenal might not mirror the status he has enjoyed at Villa.
He has been a regular starter at Villa for seven seasons, but at Arsenal, a guaranteed place in the starting eleven is far from certain.
That should not be confused with having a minor role. Arsenal are trying to compete deep into four competitions, and last season showed how quickly a supposed reserve defender can find himself starting one of the biggest matches of the campaign.
The real issue here is valuation.
£60m is a hefty sum for a player who, when everyone is fit, might not even make Arteta’s first-choice back four. The more Arsenal can negotiate that fee down to reflect Konsa’s likely role in the squad, the more sense the deal makes.
Arteta Has Been Waiting For The Right Addition
Arteta has already described the problem Arsenal face in the final weeks of the window. Making it clear following their final pre-season fixture against Como, that the Gunners were still “actively” trying to improve the squad, but the players available on the market that could improve the squad, was not as promising.
“There is more that we want to do because every time we have an opportunity to improve the squad and bring more quality and depth to the squad, we need to do that,” Arteta said. “But we are actively trying to do so.”
He later added: “I think for the margin to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club. But again, we are actively looking to improve that, and we’re going to try.”
Konsa provides a variety of what Arteta needs. A player who has experience playing against Champions League opposition, who fits the style in which Arsenal play, and the Gunners’ ongoing obsession with players who are able to play across multiple positions.
Saliba’s injury makes him particularly useful now, and although there is more focus on the need over the next few weeks, Konsa provides further protection against further defensive injury problems. Mosquera has been solid for Arsenal, and still deserves his starts, but he’s just one injury away from the Gunners being in crisis again.
Still, there has to be a point where Arsenal are prepared to walk away.
Konsa is a logical, experienced addition to an already strong defence. But if Arsenal are forced to pay the kind of fee usually reserved for automatic starters, the logic starts to fade.
The deal is edging closer. Whether it turns out to be a smart piece of business will depend on where the final number lands.