Aston Villa have not had the best start to their latest Premier League season from a defensive point of view.
With six league games played, Steven Gerrard’s side have failed to keep even one clean sheet and conceded 10 goals in total.
One defensive figure in Villa’s squad that has been a regular player for the Midlands club at the back this season is Ezri Konsa.
Despite the Villans’ shaky start, the centre-back has shown his defensive attributes by making the third-highest number of clearances (15) and the joint-fourth highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (17) at the club.
Even though the latest summer transfer window has drawn to a close, Villa and Gerrard could still have the chance to add some extra reinforcements to their defence and secure what could be their next version of Konsa by sealing a deal for Jason Denayer.
Having been linked with a move for the Belgian after Diego Carlos suffered his Achilles injury earlier in the season, the Villans still have the chance to secure a deal for the 27-year-old as he is still without a club after leaving Olympique Lyon at the end of last season.
In terms of potentially being Villa’s next version of Konsa, the duo’s 2020/21 domestic campaigns show how similar the defensive pair are.
For example, both defenders tackled 34 opposition players in total with 23 of those coming in the defensive third of the pitch.
There was also only a difference of five between the combined number of tackles and interceptions both Konsa and Denayer made (61 vs 56).
In addition to this, both players made 83 pressures in the midfield third of the pitch, showing how eager they are to win the ball back for their sides, even away from their main defensive positions.
Hailed by former Belgium manager, Marc Wilmots, as a player that has “a lot of confidence”, Denayer certainly has the credentials to be a useful addition to Villa’s ranks and help them become a stronger defensive side.
