Arsenal haven’t given up on signing Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa this summer, despite a large initial valuation gap between the two clubs.
Tom Collomosse reports for the Daily Mail that Arsenal haven’t given up hope of signing Ezri Konsa this summer, and Aston Villa’s squad are becoming increasingly resigned to the idea of the centre-back’s departure.
Arsenal aren’t the only club in the race for Konsa, with Liverpool also reportedly monitoring the situation. But perhaps the Gunners have the most pressing need, considering William Saliba’s injury and the continuing absence of Jurrien Timber.
Collomosse suggests Konsa was also one of Arsenal’s principal targets going into the summer, along with Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Junior. The Gunners have only secured the signing of one of the three so far.
Arsenal’s initial bid for Konsa was reportedly only a little over half of Villa’s £60m valuation, which didn’t go down well with the club’s co-owner Nassef Sawiris.
But Konsa is believed to be at the peak of his market value, so Villa may well yet cash in on him, whether that’s to Arsenal or not.
James McNicholas had recently reported that there remained a significant valuation gap between Arsenal and Villa for Konsa, but Sami Mokbel added for the BBC that the defender is Arsenal’s first-choice option, and the Gunners hold a ‘major interest’ in him.
Like Arsenal’s England internationals, Konsa is currently on holiday after the World Cup.
Transfer sagas often start to accelerate after the holidays, with Bruno spending just a day or so back with Newcastle before leaving for his Arsenal medical, and Vinicius only needing a couple of days back with Real Madrid before committing to a new contract.
Whether Konsa’s return to Villa will end up more like the former or the latter remains to be seen.
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