Arsenal reignite interest in Aston Villa’s Konsa

Arsenal has shown renewed interest in Aston Villa's central defender, Ezri Konsa. Konsa, currently 28 years old, is on vacation following the World Cup and is absent from Aston Villa's squad for their upcoming Super Cup match against Paris St-Germain. The Gunners had previously attempted to sign Konsa during the summer transfer window, but the deal fell through due to the player's asking price of around £60m, whereas Arsenal was only prepared to pay about £30m.

Konsa had a stellar season last year, playing 48 games across all competitions and helping Aston Villa secure the Europa League title. Arsenal's renewed focus on bolstering their defense has prompted them to escalate their pursuit of Konsa, who is known for his adaptability on the field. While the Gunners are ready to make a significant financial commitment to secure the defender, the success of the pursuit hinges on Aston Villa's willingness to let him go for a fee lower than their valuation.

Reports suggest that Arsenal has also initiated discussions with Tottenham Hotspur regarding a potential transfer for their club captain, Cristian Romero. However, Tottenham is unlikely to sell Romero given the fierce rivalry between the two north London clubs. Despite this, Arsenal has not abandoned hope of acquiring Romero, as they have conducted exploratory talks to gauge the feasibility of what would be a remarkable transfer for the summer window.

Notably, Romero's participation in the World Cup was limited due to a knee injury sustained against Sunderland in April, which kept him sidelined for the rest of the domestic season. Romero made an impressive comeback by playing 70 minutes in the final against Spain.