Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth £50million plus add-ons to sell Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The England international is now set to leave Villa Park after Arsenal made a major breakthrough in negotiations on Wednesday.
A long-term contract has been agreed with Konsa, while Romano has given the transfer his trademark “here we go” confirmation.
It brings an end to Arsenal’s prolonged pursuit after Villa rejected their earlier attempts to sign the 28-year-old.
Aston Villa agree Ezri Konsa transfer with Arsenal
The speed of Wednesday’s developments has been significant.
Read Aston Villa reported earlier in the day that Arsenal were closing in on Konsa after ownership-level discussions helped narrow the valuation gap between the two clubs.
Arsenal had previously seen an offer in the region of £35m rejected, with Villa’s valuation reported considerably higher. The Gunners nevertheless continued negotiations and have now found an agreement.
Romano reports the final package is £50m plus add-ons, with Konsa agreeing a long-term deal in north London.
The transfer represents another major departure during a summer of significant change at Villa Park.
Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have already left Unai Emery’s squad, while Kosta Nedeljkovic is also moving towards a Rangers switch.
Villa have simultaneously begun rebuilding their defence.
Matteo Ruggeri’s arrival from Atlético Madrid was officially confirmed on Wednesday, while a deal has also been agreed for West Ham right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Neither, however, represents a direct replacement for Konsa at centre-back.
The England international has developed into one of Villa’s most dependable defenders and can also operate at right-back when required.
His departure therefore leaves Emery with another significant squad decision only days before Villa begin their Premier League campaign against Brighton.
The negotiations are effectively complete, according to Romano.
Villa are now set to lose another key member of Emery’s side, with Arsenal finally succeeding after a summer-long pursuit.
