Ezri Konsa says he is proud to play for "one of the best teams in the world" as he completed his £51m move to Arsenal. The 28-year-old England defender joins the Premier League champions from Aston Villa on a four-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year. After weeks of negotiation, the clubs reached an agreement on Wednesday which could earn Villa up to an additional £4m in add-ons.
"It's a privilege to be here and can't wait to get started," said Konsa. "I want to keep winning, I'm hungry to win and that's what I'm here for. "It's a proud moment for me and my family to play for one of the best teams in the world." Last week, BBC Sport revealed Arsenal were in talks with Villa about signing Konsa, but the clubs disagreed on his valuation.
Bayer Leverkusen's Jarrell Quansah, who represented England alongside Konsa at this summer's World Cup, was also in the frame before Arsenal agreed a fee with Villa. Konsa made 286 appearances for Villa since joining in July 2019 from Brentford and helped them win the Europa League in May, the club's first major trophy since 1982. He scored two goals last season with one assist in 48 appearances as Unai Emery's side secured Champions League football with a fourth-placed Premier League finish.
Konsa played in every England game as Thomas Tuchel's side reached the World Cup semi-finals, losing to Argentina, but then winning the Bronze medal match by beating France. He was given four weeks off by Emery after the tournament and has not played in any of Villa's pre-season games, including their 2-1 defeat by Paris St-Germain in the Uefa Super Cup. Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta said: "Ezri is a defender of high quality, whose athleticism, composure and tactical intelligence have established him as one of the Premier League's most consistent performers.
"Being comfortable in both central defence and at right-back, Ezri will bring valuable versatility to our squad while maintaining the high defensive standards which are fundamental to our challenge of winning major trophies." The Gunners have spent more than £100m already, bringing in midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle (£75m) and Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis (£34m) during this transfer window. Last season, their extremely well-organised defence - aided by the effective partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes - helped them win their first title in 22 years as they conceded just 27 league goals. But half of their title-winning backline is not going to be fit for the first part of the season.
Saliba has been ruled out for an 'extended period' with a long-term back issue, which he had been managing last season and which ended his World Cup with France early. Jurrien Timber, Arsenal's first-choice right-back, is also out for the opening weeks with a groin problem that caused him to pull out of the Netherlands' World Cup squad. That has left Ben White, who has had his own fitness issues in recent seasons, as Arsenal's only fit right-back and 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera as the only right-sided centre back to partner Gabriel.
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