Arsenal set to complete £50m deal for Villa defender Konsa
Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign England international Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa in a deal worth at least £50 million, according to reports on Wednesday, as Mikel Arteta finally closes in on the centre-back reinforcement he has been chasing since last season.
The Gunners boss had a bid for Konsa turned down earlier in the transfer window and briefly shifted his focus towards Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah before renewing his pursuit of the Villa man with an improved offer.
Having reignited talks, Arsenal now appear on the verge of finalising a deal for the 28-year-old, who impressed for England at the recent World Cup and is expected to undergo a medical before completing his switch to the Emirates Stadium.
The move comes at a crucial time for Arsenal's backline, with William Saliba ruled out for an extended spell through a back injury and Jurrien Timber still working his way back from a groin problem, leaving a gap alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of defence.
Should the transfer go through, Konsa would become the fifth notable arrival at the north London club since the end of last season, following Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, Piero Hincapie and Illan Meslier through the door at the Emirates.
The defender was a regular fixture for Villa last term, making 48 appearances across all competitions as Unai Emery's side finished fourth in the Premier League and ended a three-decade wait for silverware by lifting the Europa League.
Konsa arrived at Villa Park from Brentford back in 2019 but has been notably absent from Emery's plans this pre-season, missing every friendly as well as the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, fuelling speculation over his future.
His departure would mark the latest exit in what has been a turbulent summer for Villa, following Morgan Rogers' move to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans joining Manchester United, and Lucas Digne being allowed to leave for PSG.
Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title at home to newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, with Arteta hopeful of having his defensive reshuffle largely completed before a demanding opening stretch of fixtures.