Konsa: I’m hungry to win with Arsenal

Arsenal unveiled their fourth signing of the summer this afternoon, as Ezri Konsa joined from Aston Villa in a deal worth £51m.

The 28 year will provide cover for the right-hand side of the defence with William Saliba sidelined for the foreseeable future, and with Jurrien Timber making his way back from a troublesome groin injury.

The England international won the Europa League last season, and joins the Premier League champions eager for more silverware.

“I want to keep winning, I’m hungry to win and that’s what I’m here for,” he told the official website.

“It’s a proud moment for me and my family to play for one of the best teams in the world. That’s what I’m here for, to win. Hungry for more. I had a taste of it last season with the Europa League and I want to go for it all.”

Konsa is joining a side which has built a lot of its prowess on an incredibly solid defensive platform, and deputising for someone as important as Saliba is a big ask, but one he is relishing.

“I just love the way they are together,” he continued. “What they’ve built over the past few years has been special.”

“The chemistry they have, they all want to defend for each other, the love they have for defending, they love keeping the ball out of the net which is what you have to do as a defender.”

He also took time to pay tribute to his former club Aston Villa, for whom he made 286 appearances after joining from Brentford in 2019.

““I’m very proud and very grateful for what they did for me in my career, joining them as a boy and left as a man,” he said.

“I’m excited to get going at Arsenal and can’t wait to get started.”

Konsa will join his England teammates Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke on the Arsenal training ground, with our next Premier League fixture – after tonight’s opener – away to Villa. The football scriptwriters do it again.

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– For more on Konsa as a player, how his passing stats match with Saliba, and how he’ll adapt to a new team’s defensive set-up, check out our new player podcast on Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/arseblog/posts/new-player-ezri-167279135

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