Aston Villa are facing the prospect of another major departure after Arsenal moved close to an agreement to sign Ezri Konsa.
The England international has been one of Mikel Arteta’s leading defensive targets throughout the summer, but Villa had previously resisted Arsenal’s attempts to prise him away.
That position now appears to be under serious pressure.
David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Konsa after talks between the clubs progressed significantly.
Dialogue at ownership level is understood to have helped narrow the previous gap in valuation.
Aston Villa face major Ezri Konsa decision
The development represents a dramatic change from where the transfer stood only days ago.
Read Aston Villa reported on Tuesday that Villa were still holding firm over their £60million valuation of Konsa, after Arsenal had seen an earlier verbal proposal rejected.
Arsenal subsequently explored Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, but Konsa remained high on their shortlist.
They have now returned to the England defender and moved significantly closer to securing him.
Konsa’s versatility is particularly attractive to Arsenal, with the 28-year-old capable of operating at centre-back and right-back.
For Villa, his potential departure would create another major hole in Unai Emery’s squad.
Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have already left Villa Park this summer, while Kosta Nedeljkovic is also moving towards a Rangers exit.
Villa have strengthened their defence by signing Matteo Ruggeri and agreeing a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but neither directly replaces Konsa’s role at the heart of Emery’s back line.
Konsa remains under contract until 2028 and has been one of Villa’s most dependable defenders since joining from Brentford in 2019.
No transfer has yet been officially completed.
However, with Arsenal now closing in after previously struggling to meet Villa’s valuation, Emery could soon be faced with replacing another crucial member of his starting XI.
