{
  "id": 675777,
  "title": "Arsenal reignite interest in Aston Villa's Konsa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/arsenal-reignite-interest-in-aston-villas-konsa-675777",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-12T15:21:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport",
    "slug": "bbc-sport",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2v175j40zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arsenal are showing renewed interest in Aston Villa's central defender Ezri Konsa. The 28-year-old is currently on holiday after the World Cup and will miss Wednesday's Super Cup match against Paris St-Germain. Arsenal's initial bid for Konsa did not succeed, as they were only prepared to pay around £30 million for the England international, who is valued at £60 million by Aston Villa. Last season, Konsa played 48 games in all competitions for Aston Villa and helped the team win the Europa League. The London club's renewed pursuit of the defender comes as they seek to bolster their defense. Arsenal has already secured Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, and they now see Konsa's versatility as a valuable asset at the Emirates Stadium. While Arsenal is willing to increase their offer, it remains to be seen if Aston Villa would be willing to part with the defender for a fee below his club valuation. Reports suggest that Arsenal has also held preliminary discussions with Tottenham Hotspur regarding a potential move for their club captain, Cristian Romero. However, Tottenham is unlikely to sell Romero to Arsenal due to the fierce rivalry between the two north London clubs. Despite this, Arsenal has been investigating the possibility of signing Romero, who was sidelined with a knee injury sustained against Sunderland in April. Romero made a quick return, playing 70 minutes in Argentina's final defeat to Spain at the World Cup.",
  "summary": "Aston Villa's central defender Ezri Konsa is thought to be Arsenal's preferred option in their search for a new central defender.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport Football",
        "title": "Arsenal reignite interest in Aston Villa's Konsa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/arsenal-reignite-interest-in-aston-villas-konsa",
        "published": "2026-08-12T15:21:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "PSG and Aston Villa announce starting line-ups for UEFA Super Cup final",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/psg-and-aston-villa-announce-starting-line-ups-for-uefa-super-cup",
        "published": "2026-08-12T18:39:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}