Arsenal have lost the price of the Aston Villa star despite the player's desire to sign
Aston Villa have slapped a huge price tag on defender Ezri Konsa amid interest from Arsenal, with the NSWE owners determined not to allow a mass exodus this summer.
Villa's summer has already brought plenty of turmoil.
Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United after triggering his £35million release clause, a previously unknown clause in his contract that left Villa Park fans baffled.
Lucas Digne reportedly has a verbal agreement to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain if his release clause is activated after the World Cup, taking out two players with first-team experience at the same time.
Tielemans' exit adds to an already thin field after Amadou Onana suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup, while Boubacar Kamara also has a knee problem, leaving Unai Emery short of numbers in a department once regarded as one of the strongest players in the division.
Then it's Morgan Rogers. Arsenal are keen to sign a new striker for the 2026-27 season with Rogers high on their wish-list, although it may take more than £100m to land him.
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How is the playing situation for Rogers at Arsenal? |
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A player who likes to join |
According to Fabrizio Romano, the personal terms have been finalized – described as “almost agreed” with only minor details left to be ironed out. Club-to-club talks with Villa are expected to follow shortly |
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The price tag has been revealed |
Villa would like to make Rogers the most expensive player in Premier League history, but it is expected that the deal could be done for around £100m. |
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Another Arsenal target |
Arsenal turned to Rogers after reports suggested they had been misled by the agents of Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes. Indeed, the Gunners have launched a bid of around £55m for the Brazilian, with a verbal offer from the Magpies only to be told the price is closer to £100m. |
The sale of Donyell Malen, Enzo Barrenechea and Lewis Dobbin brought in more than £41million, putting the Midlands in a strong position to negotiate the remaining stars as we come to the end of the PSR season, with the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) coming into force from the 2026/27 season.
Arsenal will start looking elsewhere after learning Konsa's price tag
Arsenal are reportedly preparing to sign Konsa following William Saliba's injury during France's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain.
The Frenchman was seen telling medical staff that 'my back is gone' and he could be facing surgery which will keep him out for six months.
The Gunners will dip into the transfer market in response, but do not intend to spend big on marquee signings instead, as Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães could be first choice if fit, while depth is already provided by Piero Hincapié, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori.
And Villa's price tag will now force them to look elsewhere, with NSWE demanding more than £50m to part with their England international, Football FanCast sources understand.
Arsenal had hoped that Konsa's contract – which expires in 2028 – would open the door to a cheaper deal, while the player himself is open to a move, but Villa have no intention of losing him this summer unless they receive a bid too good to turn down.
William Saliba's injury update
Saliba is facing a backlash after it emerged that he had been playing with a back injury for the past two months in the Premier League, treating it with painkillers to play in the competition.
Reports now suggest that surgery will be required, with Arsenal possibly without their mainstay defense until Christmas – a major blow if his relationship with Gabriel was crucial to their title-winning bid.
West Ham's Konstantinos Mavropanos is a value option if Arsenal are looking for a quick, cheap fix – the Greek played time in North London as a teenager, and the Hammers' relegation from the Championship would make him more available in the budget than pushing hard for Konsa.
