Ezri Konsa is one of the top players on Arsenal’s radar this summer as the Gunners look to add quality to their squad during this transfer window.
With William Saliba not expected to return for the first weeks of the season because he needs rest to recover from his back issue, Arsenal need additional cover in defence. The Gunners have been targeting several defenders this summer, with Cristian Romero among those considered, although he does not favour a move to the club.
Konsa has now returned to Arsenal’s list of targets, but Aston Villa do not want to sell their defender. That is why they have placed a £60m price tag on the Englishman, who remains happy at Villa Park.
Arsenal consider Konsa move
Konsa also represented England at the World Cup, highlighting his status as a top defender. Villa therefore believe he is either worth keeping or selling only for a significant fee.
Arsenal see Konsa as an ideal player to add to their squad, particularly with Saliba’s expected absence creating a need for greater depth at the back. However, the Gunners are not prepared to agree to any deal simply because Villa have placed a high valuation on the defender.
Their interest is based on his quality and suitability for the squad, but Arsenal must also consider the financial side of the potential transfer before deciding whether to make an offer.
Arsenal reject £60m valuation
According to Football365, Konsa is one of the top players on Arsenal’s radar, but the Gunners do not agree with Aston Villa’s £60m valuation as they consider whether to pursue the defender.
Arsenal believe Konsa would be a strong addition to their squad, but that does not mean they will spend whatever is required to sign him. The club are expected to assess whether Villa’s asking price represents reasonable value before deciding how strongly to pursue the transfer.
For now, Villa’s position makes a deal difficult, particularly because Konsa is happy at the club. Arsenal will need to convince Villa to lower their demands or decide that the defender is worth the £60m required to complete the transfer.
With Saliba’s return uncertain, however, Arsenal still have a reason to strengthen their defence, leaving Konsa as one of the options they could continue to consider this summer.
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Not a penny more than 45million, if you ask me.
Yes oooh
Nope! He’s 29. There’s loads of cheaper options. Why spend £60m on a player who won’t get time once Saliba is fit and Mosquera ready? Let Mosquera, Hincapie, White and Timber get time at CB, maybe even Rice, and bring in a fullback like that lad from Sporting who looks great at either RB or LB.
No
Definitely not worth £60 million, Aston Villa are just being greedy, £35-£40 million max. We sold them our keeper Martinez on the cheap so they should sell one of their players back to us at a reasonable price, tight a*ses.
We have Mosquera
Pay what we want or don’t. We decide what he’s worth not Arteta. Didn’t actually work out with Rodgers did it. Your low balling strategy won’t work with owners.
May be different at Villa but Arteta doesn’t decide how much a player is worth here at Arsenal 🙂
Yep, all changed when our last manager was sacked.
How will someone sacked and then announce he will leave in several months time? That’s not sacking. It’s called stepping down
Liverpool have got a loan from Barcelona for their Centre Half. Maybe Arsenal should look along those sort of lines. If possible of course.
Why and how we missed that is beyond me. Top defender!!!
It seems Reggie,
We’re to busy looking at overpriced Centre Backs. Just like we we’re looking at overpriced midfielders like Rogers. And that ended well, didn’t it.
Maybe we’re looking for a PL-tested defender who is home grown
Even at that, he’s not worth that much
I think this is their preferred option. They’re trying to prevent a long term drop off in quality since defense is again going to be crucial to our season. It’s not certain how long Saliba is going to be out yet.
No !
Forget Konsa, go get Dan Ballard
£60m is high and I can’t see them paying that.
On the other hand, there are a few considerations that mean we really do need to buy a player:
– Don’t know how long Saliba is out
– We’re light on the right. We now have 3 first-team options across RCB and RB – any injuries and we could get into some trouble
– Maintaining something close to a world class defense is critical to winning the EPL again
– We could use a few more home grown players. We could be selling 4 over the next year (Ethan, Reiss, Benji, Nelli). Need to have minimum 8 in the 25-man squad
So if not Konsa, another EPL experienced right side defender would be the way to go.
Djed Spence to Inter is valued 25m while Konsa 60m? Emery’s factor
I like Jed Spence. He has the tools and just needs direction.
Same. I wouldn’t be against it.
Unless we’re actually succession planning for Saliba as well as covering, I would think getting another right back, and using White to help cover for Saliba while he’s out, would not be a bad place to end the window…
Konsa is better
swear some are trolling lol
Different position, different attributes.
Going for a backup right back instead of a 1:1 replacement for Saliba is a perfectly reasonable option to consider, especially if it saves £35m for other positions…
go check last season who did better
Konsa can also play CB and RB
Konsa is a better defender, yes. Would be a decent alternative for Saliba.
Spence just offers a different option to resolve the current issue – an attacking RW backup for Timber for cover.
Think a year or two out from now. Quite possible that White goes to Everton or something, and Madrid or PSG finally come for Saliba. If his head is turned, we’ll then have Konsa and Mosquera in that role. Not bad, but we may be looking for an upgrade on Konsa who will be aging too. Spence in RW as backup for Timber could fulfill that role for several years. So the use of funds there is interesting.
It’s a perfectly reasonable option to consider.
*Spence = RB obvs.
Also once Saliba is back, if we go for Konsa, we’re effectively stacked with 3 RCBs. And if White goes, Konsa becomes the deputy RB. But would fit our system more to have a more attacking RB to deputise for Timber?
Funny enough Spence is a better LB but he can play both, and has. And I wasn’t talking about Spence replacing Saliba, I was talking about Spence playing wide and one of Hincapie, Calafiori, White or Timber playing CB. If cover is required.
I still find it odd, we were not in for Araujo, loan, or Diomande to buy. Both very good CDs. If we are actually physically chasing one.
Yeah I understood you meant he’d play LB (or RB), allowing one of the CBs that currently play as wide defenders to move in and cover Saliba.
Anyway doesn’t matter now – Spence has apparently signed a long term contract with Inter Milan! Spuds probably wouldn’t have sold him to us anyway.
WHY IGNORE BEN WHITE
When Ben White was signed, he was playing centre back. Our coach moved him to right back and he did well. When there was talk about him being called to the England squad in 2022, people said there was an advantage for the squad because he could be used at right back or centrally.
Why does that advantage not seem to be seen at Arsenal, with Saliba’s unavailability?
It is.
Oh they are well aware, and he will play there on rotation with Mosquera if no other CB is signed in time.
The problem right now is that we’re going into the start of the season with only White and Mosquera fully fit. Meaning if one of them gets injured (we all know which one) in the early games, we’ll have to either stick Declan Rice back into the back line, or promote 16-year-old Marli Salmon, and neither is an ideal solution. Salmon might not even be able to play games during the school week!
Konsa is 29. I read he’s a boyhood Spurs supporter. Villa bought him for under 10m from Charlton 7 years ago and now values him 60m. Reject for all these reasons!
At least a fee’s been agreed for Romero to join Atletico Madrid, (thank goodness). But I won’t be happy until he’s officially signed for them.
I don’t know what Arsenal were thinking enquiring about him.