Arsenal are moving at pace to defend their Premier League title, and a deal to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa for around £51m looks set to be their third major acquisition of the summer — following Bruno Guimaraes (£75m from Newcastle) and Christos Tzolis (£34m from Club Brugge).
On the surface, bringing in another senior centre-back when the squad already carries seven defenders looks puzzling. But manager Mikel Arteta has clear reasons for pursuing the England international.
The injury problem forcing Arteta's hand
Arsenal's backline was the bedrock of their title triumph — conceding just 27 Premier League goals last season, largely thanks to the commanding partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. That defensive foundation is now under serious strain heading into the new campaign.
Saliba has been ruled out for an extended period with a back problem he managed throughout last season, the same issue that ended his World Cup with France prematurely. First-choice right-back Jurrien Timber is also sidelined for the opening weeks of the season with a groin injury, which also forced him out of the Netherlands' World Cup squad.
That leaves Ben White — himself no stranger to injury setbacks — as Arsenal's only available right-back, while 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera is the sole right-sided centre-back option alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. Academy prospect Marli Salmon, 16, is expected to feature only in cup competitions for now.
Arteta has shown a reluctance to field two left-footed players in central defence. With Riccardo Calafiori preferred at left-back and Piero Hincapie — whose loan was made permanent this summer — also left-sided, the squad lacks the right-footed cover the head coach demands.
What Konsa brings to the table
Before settling on Konsa, Arsenal considered Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah, who offers similar right-sided versatility. Ultimately, Konsa's profile proved more compelling.
At 28, Konsa is in the prime of his career. He lifted the UEFA Europa League with Aston Villa last season and was one of England's standout performers at the World Cup, starting seven of their eight matches. His statistics from last season's Premier League make for striking reading: he recorded the best ground duel success rate among all defenders at 73.1 percent, and his passing accuracy of 95 percent was the highest of any outfield player in the division. He also ranked fifth among all Premier League defenders for ball carries exceeding five metres. That precision carried into the World Cup, where he completed 97 percent of his passes across seven starts.
Does Konsa start when the squad is fully fit?
Many Arsenal supporters are asking whether Konsa will command a regular place once Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are back and firing. Arteta's preferred first-choice back four — Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, and Calafiori — is a formidable combination to displace.
But Arsenal played 63 games across all competitions last season as they won the Premier League, reached the UEFA Champions League final, the Carabao Cup final, and the FA Cup quarter-final. Injuries were a constant burden throughout the campaign, and Arteta is determined to build a squad deep enough to absorb them this time around.
Arteta himself addressed the question of squad depth.
