{"id":265674,"date":"2026-10-03T07:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T07:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/why-aston-villa-are-still-waiting-to-see-the-new-ezri-konsa-in-action\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T07:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T07:15:11","slug":"why-aston-villa-are-still-waiting-to-see-the-new-ezri-konsa-in-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/why-aston-villa-are-still-waiting-to-see-the-new-ezri-konsa-in-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Aston Villa are still waiting to see the new Ezri Konsa in action"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

For so long, consistency has been the basis of Aston Villa<\/a>‘s success under Unai Emery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While their Premier League rivals ripped things up and started again almost every summer, the Villans carefully went about their business, keeping the core of the team together for so long.<\/p>\n

That all finally came to an end this time around, however, with so many long-serving talents having flown the nest, including 2020 arrivals, Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

It also proved the time to move for a man who had arrived a year earlier, in the form of Ezri Konsa<\/a>, with Villa having hit the jackpot with the Englishman’s signing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n How Villa played a blinder with Ezri Konsa signing<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

The ongoing Manchester City saga has provided an apt time for reflection on what has unfolded over the last decade or so in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Konsa-Martinez-Kamara-Aston-Villa\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

How fitting that Villa claimed Europa League glory back in May, ten years on from the club slipping back into the Championship following Remi Garde’s brief, dismal spell in charge.<\/p>\n

Promotion was secured three years later, with the Midlands side still reaping the rewards of the signings they made in that summer of 2019, be it in the form of Tyrone Mings or the aforementioned Konsa.<\/p>\n

In Konsa’s case, the 21-year-old was snapped up by Dean Smith following their prior stint together at Brentford, with Villa forking out a fee of around \u00a312m to bring him into the Premier League.<\/p>\n

The rest, as they say, is history, with the versatile defender proving such a dependable, consistent figure under the likes of Smith, Steven Gerrard and Emery, seemingly just as comfortable at right-back as he was in his preferred centre-back role.<\/p>\n

Part of the squad that saw off Freiburg earlier this year, Konsa bowed out that night having made 286 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 12 goals.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Villa – Europa League Final XI<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Position<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Player<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Current Club<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

GK<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Martinez<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Chelsea<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

RB<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Cash<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Villa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

CB<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Konsa<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

CB<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Torres<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Villa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

LB<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Digne<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

PSG<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

DM<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Lindelof<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Villa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

DM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Tielemans<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Man Utd<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

RM<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

McGinn<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Villa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

AM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Rogers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Chelsea<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

LM<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Buendia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Villa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

ST<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Watkins<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Al-Hilal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

From a business perspective too, his \u00a312m signing proved something of a steal in the end, with Arsenal forking out \u00a350m<\/a> to take him to the Emirates this summer.<\/p>\n

It’s the kind of signing that Villa will hope to repeat again soon enough – or rather, perhaps they already have.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Why Emery could unleash the new Konsa<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

In the wake of Konsa’s departure to the Emirates, Villa have largely been left with an experienced, yet ageing crop of centre-backs this season.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"New\n <\/picture>REUTERS\/Peter Cziborra<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Indeed, in the absence of 29-year-old Spaniard, Pau Torres, Emery’s men lined up with Victor Lindelof and that man Mings at the back against Tottenham Hotspur, with new signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis watching on in reserve.<\/p>\n

Harwood-Bellis, the son-in-law of a certain Roy Keane, will be hoping to force his way into the starting lineup soon enough, although he isn’t the only new arrival waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n