Ezri Konsa to Arsenal: Why Arteta wants another centre-back and what's going on at Aston Villa

Arsenal are moving towards the new Premier League season with the confidence and assurance of champions.

Mikel Arteta's side ended the club's 22-year wait for a 14th league title last season and did not look like they had missed a beat during last weekend's commanding 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City.

City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all heading into the 2026/27 campaign wth new head coaches at the helm. By contrast, Arteta is now the longest-serving manager in the division and has a settled squad brimming with confidence.

Arsenal's latest planned addition is therefore coming from a position of strength. At the same time, it adds to the state of flux surrounding one of this season's Champions League participants.

MORE: Arsenal projected lineup 2026-27

Arsenal agree deal for Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa

According to multiple reports on Wednesday, August 19, Arsenal have agreed a deal with Aston Villa to sign England defender Ezri Konsa. The Athletic quoted the fee as £51 million ($69.4m) plus add-ons.

The 28-year-old centre-back is expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal on Thursday.

Konsa joined Villa from Brentford in 2019 and has made 286 appearances for the club, including 48 last season as Unai Emery's team finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa League.

At the 2026 World Cup, Konsa started every game for England with the exception of their semifinal loss to Argentina. He scored in the 6-4 win over France in the third-place playoff and has 28 caps and two goals for his country overall.

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Why do Arsenal want to sign Ezri Konsa?

William Saliba and Gabriel's partnership at centre-back was the rock-solid foundation of both Arsenal's Premier League triumph and their run to last season's Champions League final. But Saliba aggravated a long-standing back problem on World Cup duty with France and could face up to three months on the sidelines.

Cristhian Mosquera partnered Gabriel as Arsenal unfussily closed out a clean sheet against City in Cardiff, and Arteta is not exactly short of alternatives at centre-back.

Although primarily used as full-backs, Piero Hincapie and Ben White can both operate at the heart of defence. The same can be said regarding Jurrien Timber, but the Dutchman is currently alongside Saliba in the treatment room.

As such, Arteta does not want to take any chances, and a move for Konsa is along the same lines as the capture of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle. Arsenal have bought potential and done so excellently throughout the Arteta era, but this is buying win-now players of proven Premier League pedigree. It feels like a concerted attempt to drive home a position of strength when rivals are vulnerable.

As we saw at the World Cup, Konsa can play at right-back as well as centre-half, and this is a profile that Arteta clearly enjoys. As well as being an excellent one-vs-one defender, Konsa is a calm presence on the ball. According to Opta, Konsa's 92.5% completion rate was the highest of any player making passes under high-intensity pressure last season.

Why are Aston Villa selling their best players?

Villa's club-record sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m was undertaken in part to facilitate compliance with UEFA's financial regulations.

Monetary imperatives are only part of the reason for Villa parting company with several pillars of their success under Emery over recent seasons. Manchester United activated a release clause to take Youri Tielemans to Old Trafford. The clause was included in the Belgium midfielder's contract after he joined on a free transfer from Leicester City in 2023. 

Villa had the oldest average age of any squad in the Premier League last season, so the need for a wider refresh has been acknowledged and acted upon this summer. Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri, 24, arrived from Atletico Madrid, nine years the junior of PSG-bound Lucas Digne. Zion Suzuki, the 23-year-old Japan international, will replace Emiliano Martinez as Emery's No. 1.

There was still work to do in the market before the sale of Konsa was agreed, while striker Ollie Watkins is mooted as a target for Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal.

A summer of transition was expected for Villa, but moving on from Martinez, Konsa, Tielemans, Rogers and Watkins in the same summer would mean a team with an entirely new spine. It promises a test like no other for Emery and his esteemed reputation for finding flexible and effective tactical solutions, whoever the remaining incomings might be.