Arsenal have flexed their muscles by signing Ezri Konsa, the boyhood Tottenham fan who is best pals with Bukayo Saka

ARSENAL had the meanest defence in the Premier League last season. But if their rivals were hoping for a chink in the champions’ armour this term, then they need to think again. Ezri Konsa has developed into an England regular under Thomas Tuchel Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Ezri Konsa has become one of the Premier League’s top defenders at Aston Villa Credit: Getty Mikel Arteta has responded to William Saliba being ruled out for months with a back injury by dipping into the transfer market. The Gunners have agreed a £50million deal for Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa, which is a major boost to their backline. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Dream Team is back, free, and there’s £100,000 up for grabs! Konsa, 28, can provide cover and competition for Saliba, while he is also able to deputise at right-back. Arsenal are light on options there, too, as Jurrien Timber is still working his way back from a groin issue that has dogged him since March. The signing of Konsa is a statement of intent. He brings bags of experience and has been one of the best defenders in the top-flight over the past few years. Indeed, among players who played at least 500 minutes in the Prem last season, Konsa had the highest pass completion rate. He was also top when it came to percentage of ground duels won. The attraction for Arsenal is that this is someone who can instantly slot straight into the team. That will be helped by the fact that Konsa knows several of the current squad from his time with England. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Bukayo Saka is very close with the centre-back and even video called him during Aston Villa’s trophy parade at the end of last season, after they won the Europa League. Konsa was one of those to speak in Saka’s recent documentary – The Time is Now – and the pair’s bond grew from their time on England duty. During Euro 2024, the duo did extra one-v-one training drills with each other after sessions to test themselves. Saka said: “I can’t lie, he’s a very good defender. He’s made me better, and I am sure I’ve made him better.” Konsa has become a mainstay for England since then and no defender has made more appearances during Thomas Tuchel’s time in charge. At this summer’s World Cup, he started seven of the Three Lions’ eight games and his former boss at Aston Villa and Brentford, Dean Smith, was full of praise for him. Smith said: “He’s like a Rolls Royce. People started likening to Paul McGrath at Villa – and Paul McGrath is known as God.” Konsa, who lives in London, was a Tottenham fan growing up and his boyhood dream was to play for them. But now he joins an Arsenal squad with a level of depth in defence that no one else can match. When everyone is fit, Konsa could be part of a ‘back-up backline’ that contains himself, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie. In the current market, it is not hard to imagine that quartet going for a combined cost of £150m. It is a serious flex of the muscles from Arsenal and reinforces Arteta’s faith in Sir Alex Ferguson’s motto: ‘Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’. England stars Ezri Konsa and Bukayo Saka are close pals Credit: Getty Comment now