Aston Villa have completed the sale of defender Ezri Konsa to Arsenal in a deal worth around £55 million including add-ons. The 28-year-old leaves after seven years at Villa Park, having joined from Brentford in a transfer valued at approximately £12 million.
During his time with the club, Konsa made 284 appearances across all competitions. Of those, 231 came in the Premier League, a tally surpassed by only eight players in Villa's history in the competition. Captain John McGinn has made a couple more appearances than Konsa in the league.
Europa League Success and England Recognition
Konsa played a pivotal role in Villa's Europa League triumph last season. He scored the opening goal in the quarter-final against Bologna, then started both semi-final legs against Nottingham Forest and the 3-0 final victory over SC Freiburg.
His performances earned him a place in England's World Cup squad, where he started seven of the nation's eight matches. The only game he missed from the starting XI was the semi-final defeat by Argentina.
Potential Debut at Villa Park
Villa will now look to replace Konsa, who could make his Arsenal debut at Villa Park on Monday, August 31, should he not feature against Coventry City on Friday night.
He becomes the latest high-profile Villa player to depart this summer, following Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Emi Martínez and Ollie Watkins could also leave the club in the coming days.
