Arsenal are preparing a bid for Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, though it is believed the clubs remain apart on a valuation and the player may yet stay where he is.
Amid suggestions that Arsenal were readying a bid for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers before Chelsea decided to pay £117m for him, Tom Collomosse reported for the Daily Mail that the Gunners were also preparing an offer for Ezri Konsa, with the player yet to reach an agreement with Villa over a contract extension.
How much you believe that when they never got around to bidding for Morgan is up to you.
Collomosse’s report itself isn’t particularly optimistic about the deal, as he adds that there is thought to be a significant gap in valuation between the clubs at this stage.
The reporter adds that Konsa may still sign an extension with Villa beyond the two years he has remaining on his contract.
Isaan Khan confirmed that Arsenal were preparing a bid for Konsa, again noting the current valuation gap. Matt Law had previously reported that Konsa was likely to be valued in the region of £60m, and that such a figure is more than Arsenal would want to pay.
Law reported that Mikel Arteta is behind Arsenal’s interest in Konsa, but the Gunners’ interest was described at the time as being no more than ‘tentative’.
Perhaps the talk of a bid suggests they’re now stepping up that interest in the wake of reports that William Saliba could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Arsenal are presumably interested in Konsa as both a backup centre-back and as an option at right-back.
The 28-year-old has made the vast majority of his appearances centrally, but he’s also racked up 66 right-back appearances over the years, so he’d provide cover in both positions.
The Gunners have had injury issues in both positions, so another signing in that area of the pitch wouldn’t be a surprise.
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