Aston Villa have slapped a huge price tag on defender Ezri Konsa amid interest from Arsenal, as owners NSWE are determined not to allow a mass exodus this summer.
Villa’s summer has already delivered plenty of upheaval.
Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United after they triggered his £35million release clause, a previously unknown feature in his contract which left fans at Villa Park baffled.
Lucas Digne reportedly has a verbal agreement to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain once his own release clause is activated post-World Cup, stripping out two experienced first-team regulars in one swoop.
Tielemans’ exit compounds an already thin midfield after Amadou Onana’s serious knee injury at the World Cup, with Boubacar Kamara also suffering knee problems of his own, leaving Unai Emery short of numbers in a department once considered one of the division’s strongest.
Then there’s Morgan Rogers. Arsenal are keen to sign a new forward for the 2026-27 season with Rogers sitting at the top of their wishlist, though it could reportedly take a fee of over £100m to prise him away.
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What’s the state of play on Rogers to Arsenal? |
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Player keen to join |
According to Fabrizio Romano, personal terms are all but finalised – described as “almost agreed” with only minor details left to sort. Club-to-club talks with Villa are expected to follow soon |
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Price tag revealed |
Villa would like to make Rogers the most expensive player in Premier League history, but there is an expectation a deal could be done around £100m. |
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Arsenal’s other targets |
Arsenal turned to Rogers after reports suggested they were misled by the agents of Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes. Indeed, the Gunners opened the bidding around £55m for the Brazilian, communicating a verbal offer to the Magpies, only be to be told the price is closer to £100m. |
The sales of Donyell Malen, Enzo Barrenechea and Lewis Dobbin have brought in more than £41million, putting the Midlands outfit in a strong negotiating position for their remaining stars as we reach the end of the PSR era, with the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) taking effect from the 2026/27 season.
Arsenal set to look elsewhere after learning Konsa price tag
Arsenal are widely reported to be preparing a bid for Konsa following the injury suffered by William Saliba during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain.
The Frenchman was seen telling medical staff ‘my back is gone’ and could be facing a surgery that will keep him out for around six months.
The Gunners are set to dip into the transfer market in response, but do not intend to spend big on a marquee signing in the position, given Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães are first-choice when fit, while depth is already provided by Piero Hincapié, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori.
And Villa’s price tag is now set to force them to look elsewhere, with NSWE demanding a fee in excess of £50m to part ways with their England international, Football FanCast sources understand.
Arsenal were hoping Konsa’s contract situation – expiring in 2028 – would open the door for an affordable deal, while the player himself is open to the move, but Villa have no intention of losing him this summer unless they receive a bid which is too good to turn down.
William Saliba injury update
Saliba is facing a lengthy spell out after it emerged he’d actually been playing through a fractured back sustained two months earlier in the Premier League, managing it with painkillers to feature at the tournament.
Reports now suggest surgery will be required, with Arsenal potentially without their defensive cornerstone until Christmas – a huge blow given his partnership with Gabriel was central to their title-winning setup.
West Ham’s Konstantinos Mavropanos is a possible value option if Arsenal want a quicker, cheaper fix – the Greece international spent time in North London as a youngster, and the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship could make him more obtainable on a budget than pushing hard for Konsa.