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Aston Villa agree to sell Ezri Konsa to Arsenal for initial £51m

Villa have agreed to sell Ezri Konsa to Arsenal in a deal worth an initial £51million.

The England international is due to undergo a medical on Thursday ahead of completing the move and becoming the latest high-profile departure from Villa Park this summer.

Konsa had been a target for Arsenal since the start of the transfer window but the clubs were initially well apart in valuation, with Villa demanding £60m.

Talks in recent days have eventually seen a deal agreed with the initial £51m figure potentially rising further with add-ons.

Villa will now seek a replacement for Konsa, who has been a mainstay of the team under Unai Emery.

The 28-year-old has made 286 appearances since joining for £12m from Brentford in 2019 and will be remembered as one of the club’s finest centre-backs in recent history.

His exit continues a summer of huge upheaval which had already seen the departures of Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers, the latter to Chelsea in a British record £117m deal.

Villa confirmed on Wednesday morning the signings of goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma and left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid.They join Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi and Alejandro Garnacho among the club’s recruits, with right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka on course to become the sixth arrival, on loan from West Ham.

Suzuki’s signing has opened the door to Emi Martinez’s departure, while Villa have rejected a £38m bid from Al-Hilal for striker Ollie Watkins.

Aston Villa agree to sell Ezri Konsa to Arsenal for initial £51m

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