Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa has revealed that he supported the Gunners growing up and described his summer move from Aston Villa as the fulfilment of a childhood dream.
The England international joined Arsenal for £55 million and has quickly established himself as an important member of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Konsa admitted that his childhood allegiance was no secret, having regularly worn Arsenal shirts before becoming a professional footballer.
“Yes, I was. I had a lot of Arsenal kits when I was younger,” the 28-year-old confirmed when asked about his boyhood club.
The centre-back explained that joining Arsenal was particularly special because he had grown up admiring the club’s history and former players.
His arrival also reunited him with close friend Eberechi Eze, who welcomed him to the training ground following his transfer.
“You dream of playing for big clubs like this,” Konsa said. “To be here with close friends makes it even more special.”
Konsa has made an encouraging start to life in north London, forming a defensive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes during William Saliba’s injury-enforced absence.
Arsenal have recorded four clean sheets in their opening seven Premier League fixtures, maintaining the defensive standards that helped them win last season’s title.
The former Villa defender produced another assured display during Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, including an important recovery challenge against Liam Delap.
Konsa acknowledged that such interventions are satisfying but admitted that better positioning could sometimes prevent them from becoming necessary.
The England international also revealed that Arsenal’s defensive record influenced his decision to join the club.
“One of the reasons I joined the club was to carry on keeping clean sheets,” he explained.
Having won the Europa League with Villa last season, Konsa is now determined to add further honours to his collection.
“When I came here, I wanted to win. I was hungry to win,” he said.
His immediate focus is Wednesday’s Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich, where he could face England teammate Harry Kane.
Konsa acknowledged the striker’s ability to score, create opportunities and disrupt defensive organisation.
However, he remains confident that Arsenal can compete with the German champions despite the difficulty of playing at the Allianz Arena.
Arsenal reached last season’s Champions League final before losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, and Konsa believes the squad can go one better.
“We want to win everything, we want to win the Champions League. The Prem,” he declared.
For Konsa, representing the club he supported as a child is already a significant achievement, but his ambitions extend to helping Arsenal secure more major trophies.