Aston Villa identify Chelsea's Tosin as replacement for Arsenal-bound defender
Aston Villa have identified Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as a potential replacement for Ezri Konsa, who is expected to complete a move to Premier League champions Arsenal in the coming days, according to Sky Sports UK.
Transfer market expert David Ornstein (subscription required) reported today that Arsenal have agreed a £51 million deal plus add-ons to sign Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who said goodbye to his teammates on Wednesday and he is scheduled to undergo his medical on Thursday.
Tosin is among the candidates the Europa League winners are considering to replace Konsa, who was a key player for England at the 2026 World Cup, featuring in all eight of the Three Lions’ matches and scoring one goal.
Chelsea have plenty of options in defence and are looking to trim their squad, with Tosin now considered surplus to requirements despite playing a prominent role in pre-season.
However, he was left out of the squad for their final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad, with his squad number from last season assigned to summer signing Valentin Barco.
Aston Villa face competition for the services of Tosin, with Marco Silva's Benfica, Ligue 1 outfit Marseille and La Liga club Sevilla also monitoring his situation.
The experienced centre-back would appeal to Premier League clubs and could command a decent transfer fee, given that he is a homegrown player despite his eligibility to represent the Super Eagles.
Signed as a free agent two years ago, Tosin has two years left on his Chelsea contract, and has seven goals and an assist in 70 all-competition appearances for the Londoners.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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