Ezri Konsa is set to move from Aston Villa to Arsenal after the two clubs agreed a deal, according to reports.
The defender will depart Villa Park for a fee of £51m with additional clauses included. The England defender has completed his farewells at the training ground and is scheduled to complete his medical examination on Thursday, sources suggest.
Konsa featured regularly for England at the World Cup and has not featured in Villa’s pre-season preparations since. Fellow internationals Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez were also granted extended leave and consequently missed the UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
The defender’s development at Villa saw him establish himself as a vital component of Unai Emery’s squad, with the Spanish coach previously discussing his significance to the club.
Emery told Sky Sports that when he arrived at Aston Villa and analyzed all the players, Konsa showed inconsistency but has improved. The Spanish coach stated his belief in Konsa’s abilities runs deeper than Konsa’s own confidence in himself. Emery noted that Konsa sometimes struggled with focus and concentration, and encouraged him to be ambitious about improving through dedicated training. The manager explained that while Konsa sometimes performed better or worse depending on the match, when the coaching staff explained the potential for advancement, Konsa progressively embraced the guidance. Emery acknowledged that significant development work remains and framed this as a personal challenge for the player, believing Konsa is capable of performing at a higher level than currently shown and possessing more ability than he currently recognizes. Emery highlighted that Konsa is still young but gaining valuable experience through European competition and high-level domestic play, as well as international duty with his national team. The manager described the current progression as ideal while emphasizing the need for new challenges. He expressed his intention to push Konsa toward taking on a leadership role, communicating more, and maintaining daily dedication to improvement while considering the team’s and club’s overall success as the core mentality.
Konsa has previously discussed Emery’s impact on his career. He noted Emery’s impressive managerial record including European trophy wins, and described his excitement upon learning of the appointment, expressing confidence that he would thrive under a manager of Emery’s caliber. Konsa credited Emery with accelerating his maturation as both a player and person, explaining that while he had already developed as a man, he now feels like a more complete professional on the pitch. He identified becoming a leader as a key area of growth, citing improvements in ball handling, positional awareness, self-belief, and supporting teammates as areas where Emery has challenged and enabled him. Konsa emphasized that leadership is constantly on his mind as he approaches each match. He explained his efforts to adapt to Emery’s style and tactical approach, expressing a desire to continue this development. Drawing inspiration from teams like Manchester City and Arsenal, Konsa expressed his aspiration to implement attractive football at Villa, noting that the team is beginning to achieve this style of play.