Seven defenders on the books - why Arsenal still want Konsa
August 20, 2026 19:48
Arsenal have spent heavily this summer — more than £100m on Bruno Guimaraes (£75m) and Christos Tzolis (£34m) — and are reported to be set to sign Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa for about £51m. The move comes despite the Gunners already having seven senior defenders on their books.
The club’s decision has been framed around squad availability and balance rather than a lack of existing options, with manager Mikel Arteta preparing for a season in which several established defenders are expected to miss the early weeks.
KEY CONTEXT
- Arsenal’s defence, notably the Saliba–Gabriel pairing, conceded 27 league goals last season as the club won the title and reached late stages of multiple cup competitions (63 matches across all competitions).
- William Saliba has been ruled out for an extended period due to a long-term back problem that also cut short his World Cup involvement with France. Jurrien Timber is unavailable for the opening weeks because of a groin issue that forced him out of the Netherlands’ World Cup squad.
- That leaves Ben White — who has had fitness problems in recent seasons — and 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera as the primary options on Arsenal’s right side. Arteta appears reluctant to deploy two left-footed centre-backs together (a scenario that would arise if White were injured and Mosquera shifted right).
- Arsenal completed the permanent signing of Piero Hincapie after a loan spell; Riccardo Calafiori is the manager’s preferred left-back because of the attacking unpredictability he provides. Academy defender Marli Salmon (16) is also in the squad but expected to be used sparingly in cup ties.
- Before turning to Konsa, Arsenal explored Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah, who can play as a right-back or right-sided centre-back.
- Konsa, 28, is an experienced international who helped Aston Villa win the Europa League last season and started seven of England’s eight World Cup matches.
WHY IT MATTERS
Bringing in Konsa would address an immediate availability risk on Arsenal’s right side while maintaining the club’s defensive quality. His Premier League and World Cup passing and duel statistics underline why he is a sought-after option: top-ranked passing accuracy among defenders last season and very high ground-duel success, combined with strong progressive carrying numbers. For a team that faces a long domestic and European programme and suffered injury problems during the title run, adding a reliable, versatile centre-back is framed as risk mitigation and squad-strengthening rather than redundancy.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether the Konsa move is completed on the reported terms and how Arsenal integrate him into a backline that, on paper, features Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori as first-choice.
- How long Saliba will be out and when Timber returns; those recoveries will shape Konsa’s immediate playing opportunities.
- How Arteta manages right-side cover: will Ben White shoulder the load, will Mosquera shift positions, or will Konsa be used regularly even when others are fit?
- Any further defensive recruitment or departures that alter the squad balance.