Arsenal want to sign 21-year-old Brentford defender Ezri Konsa for £15m in January, according to reports in the English media.

The Mirror write that Konsa has impressed Arsenal scouts in recent months, so much so that the club are planning a bid in January. The young centre-back played 90 minutes in Brentford’s clash with the Gunners in September, so Unai Emery and his team have already had the chance to see him up close.

According to the Mirror, Arsenal are prioritising signing young English talent, presumably with the current homegrown quota in mind. They say Konsa would cost around £15m, but appear to have got this figure from The S*n, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Nonetheless, it’s interesting to hear that the club are specifically looking at young English players. It certainly makes sense, given they signed players from Greece, Germany, Uruguay, France and Switzerland in the summer. With Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey on the way out, Arsenal will really be cutting it fine on the homegrown front.

Konsa is strong in possession, so it’s no surprise he’s being linked with clubs like Arsenal. WhoScored‘s analysis reveals that his aerial duels could use some work though.

At such a young age, it’s no surprise the centre-back still has areas he can improve. Rob Holding made a similar leap from the Championship to the Premier League and took a while to settle in, but now he’s starting every game for Arsenal. We’ll see if the club think Konsa could follow a similar path.