Arsenal open talks to sign another £35m England defender as Ezri Konsa deal stalls

Arsenal’s search for a defender has taken a new turn.

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for England defender Jarell Quansah.

Mikel Arteta is keen to add to his defensive options and sees the 23-year-old as a good fit.

Quansah’s versatility allows him to cover both centre-back and right-back positions, which is exactly the profile Arsenal have been looking for all summer.

Quansah made three appearances for England at the World Cup before returning to Leverkusen after an extended break.

In his first season in Germany, after leaving Liverpool last summer, he made 44 appearances.

His development in the Bundesliga has clearly caught Arteta’s attention.

Arsenal had been prioritising a move for Ezri Konsa, but that appears to have hit an impasse.

Villa are not budging from their £60m valuation and Arsenal have been unwilling to go that high, offering closer to half of that.

In terms of experience, Quansah is not Konsa. But he is young, versatile, an England international and clearly capable of operating at a high level.

Depending on the price, it could prove to be a shrewd addition. The fee, however, would likely need to be more than the £35million Leverkusen paid Liverpool last summer.

The German club have been impressed and do not want to sell, with four years remaining on his contract, so Arsenal would need to make a compelling offer to prise him away.