Defender to provide cover for injured Saliba and Timber
Villa braced for fresh bid from Al-Hilal for Ollie Watkins
Arsenal have agreed a £51m deal to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa. The Premier League champions have been keen to find defensive cover for William Saliba and Jurriën Timber, who are out with injuries. They have tracked Konsa throughout the summer and have made a breakthrough in the negotiations.
Mikel Arteta hopes Konsa, whose Villa contract has two years to run, can make light of Saliba’s absence in central defence. The timeframe for the Frenchman’s return is unclear but he is not expected to play before mid-October, having sustained a back injury in France’s World Cup semi-final defeat against Spain. Konsa’s appeal is bolstered by the fact he can also play at right-back, where Timber is battling to return from a groin injury which has affected him for months.
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