Aston Villa have entered the market for wantaway former Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku as they prepare for the impending departure of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal. Mikel Arteta has made the 28-year-old England international his primary central defensive target following a serious injury to William Saliba that has left the Frenchman facing a lengthy lay-off. Having hit a brick wall in Leverkusen during their pursuit of Quansah, Arsenal shifted their focus toward Konsa, who is keen on sealing a move to North London.
Villa remain in a powerful position at the negotiating table and have set a firm £60million valuation on Konsa. Arsenal’s current proposal of around £40million falls significantly short of that threshold, but negotiations continue as the Gunners look to finalize their backline. The Midlands club aren’t under any financial pressure to lower their price, having already amassed substantial transfer funds this summer. Villa raised major capital through the sales of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117million, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35million, and Lucas Digne to Paris Saint-Germain for £8.5million.
With Konsa pushing for the move, Villa are actively lining up replacements to ensure their squad maintains its competitive edge. Enquiries have been made for Nkunku, who could be set to depart AC Milan after his unsuccessful spell at Chelsea. The Serie A club value the Frenchman at around €35million, with Villa and Newcastle United both exploring a potential deal. The move comes after Villa’s earlier sale of Rogers to Chelsea for £117million threw a wrench into Arsenal’s broader recruitment plans, where the forward had been heavily targeted before heading to Stamford Bridge.
For Arsenal, securing Konsa would cap an aggressive recruitment drive designed to bolster squad depth ahead of a demanding campaign. The Gunners have already completed deals for Piero Hincapie and Illan Meslier, while Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis is expected to arrive as their third major summer addition. Arsenal have also maintained interest in Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen and Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, who recently netted a goal in a victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup final.
A successful deal for Konsa could also ignite further domestic movement across the top flight. Arsenal defender Ben White has emerged as a potential target for Everton, with the Toffees closely monitoring his situation subject to Konsa’s arrival at the Emirates. As negotiations continue over the £20million valuation gap, Villa are laying the groundwork to ensure their own squad remains reinforced before the transfer window closes.
