Arsenal closing in on signing of Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa
Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign defender Ezri Konsa from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, according to multiple reports.
David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed earlier today that the Gunners are now advancing in talks with the West Midlands outfit to finalise the move for the England international.
With talks edging closer to being brought to a successful end for Mikel Arteta's side, their hunt for a right-sided defender looks set to be resolved with Konsa the option that has been settled on.
Arsenal confident on agreeing a fee to sign Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
Club-to-club talks now advanced. Big gulf in valuation earlier this summer as Villa asked for £60m+ and Arsenal bid £30m, but parties expected to reach an agreement.
Konsa always the top target despite… pic.twitter.com/Ij3ximLy9a
Multiple sources have suggested Arsenal are confident on agreeing a fee for the defender, having previously shown interest that was rebuffed in July.
Konsa is valued at around £60million by Villa, but the Gunners presented an offer of £30m just over a month ago with reports going quiet until the decision by the North Londoners to reignite their interest a week ago today.
There was a big difference in the valuation held by the two clubs, but the move is finally advancing after talks at ownership level to reduce the gap, with an agreement now expected to be reached.
As William Saliba and Jurrien Timber both battle respective fitness issues, Arteta's side made signing a right-sided defender a priority this summer and Konsa is highly valued due to his ability to play as both a centre back and right back.
Having returned for Villa's pre-season on Monday following an extended break after finishing third at the World Cup with England, the defender wants the move and has agreed personal terms with his prospective new club. Fabrizio Romano revealed Konsa's camp have made his desire to join Arsenal clear to Villa.
Konsa has been a key player for the Villa Park club since signing from Brentford in 2019, making 286 appearances and helping his side rise from being a team fighting against relegation to regular contenders for the Premier League's European spots.
He played 48 games throughout the 2025/26 campaign as Villa finished fourth in the league to secure Champions League qualification and also played a crucial part in their Europa League success, starting the 3-0 final win over Freiburg at Istanbul's Beşiktaş Stadium.
Arsenal had also discussed Jarell Quansah as a potential defensive option, as revealed last Friday, but it appears they have settled on Konsa as the next addition the already solid backline.
It's not currently clear how much the Gunners will be splashing on Konsa, but regardless of price, he will be an incredible addition to their defence as he will provide plenty of experience, versatility and overall quality to the league's best defence.
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