Ezri Konsa is joining Arsenal in a transfer deal worth up to £55million including add-ons and the transfer will help the Gunners when it comes to registering their Premier League squad.
Ezri Konsa
Ezri Konsa's homegrown status was of great appeal to Arsenal
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One of the many reasons Arsenal were so set on signing Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa was his homegrown status. In a world where the Premier League is flooded with foreign talent from overseas, English players are of extra value and importance.
The Gunners can now technically name a full English XI including academy talents and graduates, which certainly bodes well for the future.
But when it comes to registering official Premier League squads, it's crucial to have as many homegrown players as possible.
With Konsa, Arsenal now have nine on their books (excluding U21 talent, as they are registered separately). To register a 25-man Premier League squad - the maximum possible squad size - you need a minimum of eight homegrown stars.
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Gabriel Martinelli is facing an uncertain future in north London and could yet depart before the transfer deadline after being left out of last weekend's Community Shield squad.
It's still not guaranteed the Brazilian will head elsewhere this summer but he qualifies as homegrown, so Konsa's registration gives Arsenal extra wiggle room and ensures they still have eight homegrown players to hand.
William Saliba and David Raya also classify as homegrown as they spent three seasons affiliated to an English club before their 21st birthdays while Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are also.
The significance of Konsa's arrival from an administrative perspective is that even if Martinelli departs, they do not have to rush or panic to sign an extra English player.
If Arsenal were to register seven homegrown players, they could only name a 24-man squad. There is still a decent chance they may not even require a 25-man squad this season by the time they have trimmed their ranks and moved fringe players on but they now have the option to do so, should they wish.
Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli could still depart Arsenal before the transfer deadline(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside, Offside via Getty Images)
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Cristhian Mosquera can no longer be registered as U21 while Arsenal have also recruited Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Illan Meslier, though there have been departures with Christian Norgaard and Leandro Trossard heading to Everton and Besiktas, respectively.
The Champions League is a different case because the criteria switches from homegrown to club-trained players, which centres around academy graduates, such as Saka.
Konsa wasn't purely signed because he was homegrown but it certainly made him more attractive. Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy view him as a ready-made signing, somebody that can play both at centre-back and right-back.
He is also vastly experienced having just featured prominently for England at the World Cup on the back of his Europa League success with Aston Villa last season.
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