Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on reaching a deal with Arsenal for the transfer of defender Ezri Konsa.
The 28-year-old has been a mainstay in our side since joining us from Brentford in 2019, making 286 appearances for the club and firmly establishing himself as a pivotal figure in our progress and success during that period.
However, in a summer of real change for Villa, it looks as though his time at the club is coming to an end as it appears as though progress has been made in talks between Villa and Arsenal over a transfer.
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According to The Athletic, Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign the England international, and it’s added that work is now advancing to finalise a move for him with the gap in valuations now reduced.
It’s unclear at this stage what the agreed fee will be, but this latest update would certainly indicate that Konsa is on his way out in the coming days.
Given how influential and important he has been for us, it will be a massive blow to lose him, particularly at a time when Villa and Unai Emery are seemingly open to letting our stalwarts leave following the exits of Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and potentially Emiliano Martinez too.
Speculation has suggested that a move to Al Hilal for Ollie Watkins this month can’t be entirely ruled out either as he’s keen on the switch, and so this is going to be a significant rebuild for Villa with Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi, Alejandro Garnacho, Matteo Ruggeri and Zion Suzuki arriving so far.
Whether it’s the players wanting to move or the club ready to let them leave to rebuild or a combination of both, Villa’s transfer activity is ramping up on the eve of the new Premier League season, and while there is trust and belief in Emery as well as the management team and hierarchy, with every additional stalwart moving on, it does make the strategy riskier as it’s asking a lot of those coming in to hit the ground running and fill the voids opening up.