Aston Villa have a straightforward decision regarding Ezri Konsa: either demand a ridiculous transfer fee or keep him. The defender is attracting interest from Arsenal, who seek cover for the injured William Saliba, but Villa cannot afford to lose another starter.
Konsa's importance to Villa
Konsa has two years remaining on his Villa contract and has become a key player for both club and country. Under Thomas Tuchel, he started seven of England's eight World Cup matches, missing only the semi-final defeat to Argentina. Signed from Charlton Athletic in summer 2019, Konsa has made 286 appearances for Villa, lifting the Europa League last season. He is now a Villa legend, and should he stay, he would likely move into the club's top four Premier League appearance-makers. Among the current squad, only John McGinn (233) has more Premier League appearances for Villa than Konsa (231).
Summer departures reshape squad
Villa's squad has already changed significantly. Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have departed, while Morgan Rogers completed a big-money move to Chelsea. Villa replaced Tielemans with João Gomes and brought in Johan Manzambi following Rogers' departure. Pervis Estupiñán is the primary target to fill Digne's void, and Alejandro Garnacho arrived on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. The success of Villa's summer window will be judged in the months ahead, but allowing Konsa to leave would turn a challenging summer into a far riskier one.
Villa's stance on key players
Villa's stance on Emi Martínez is that he is not for sale, at least not for the price Juventus were prepared to pay. Given Arsenal's valuation of Konsa currently falls well short of Villa's own assessment, supporters will hope that remains the case. Konsa's importance has only increased following the departures of three regular starters.
Contract situation and valuation
Konsa turns 29 in October and is due a new contract. If he is unwilling to sign fresh terms, Villa may feel this summer represents their best opportunity to maximise his value. However, this transfer window has shown that players entering the final 12 months of their contracts can still command substantial fees. Jan Paul van Hecke, while an accomplished Premier League defender, is not at Konsa's level and joined Tottenham Hotspur for £52 million. That would surely place Konsa's valuation at a minimum of £60 million. Although he is older than the Dutchman, his proven quality and importance to this Villa side arguably make him even more valuable.
Konsa's perspective
From Konsa's perspective, Arsenal would undoubtedly be an attractive proposition, provided he received assurances over his role once Saliba returns from injury. Equally, that does not mean he would be unwilling to commit his future to Villa by signing a new contract, especially if the club demonstrate just how highly they value him.
