Arsenal’s concerns over William Saliba’s injury status could have been revealed after £60m links to Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa
Arsenal reportedly hold an interest in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. The England international is currently away with the national team at the World Cup and has been a starting figure in Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The interest itself has raised many questions, with the Gunners already having several right-sided options in their back four. Currently, Mikel Arteta can call upon Jurrien Timber, Ben White, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera.
That said, both Timber and White are currently out injured and were forced to miss the World Cup. But more worryingly, there have been suggestions that Saliba may need to undergo a procedure after the World Cup to fix a back injury issue he has been carrying.
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This is where Konsa would come in. A Premier League player with plenty of experience at the top level.
However, the quoted fees have ranged between £35million and as high as £60million for a player who turns 29 in October. Arsenal already have an ageing squad with the majority of the team in their mid to late twenties, adding another one would increase strain on spending in the near future.
Konsa also has several drawbacks. No doubt he is one of the best passing defenders in the league, but beyond this, there are some concerns.
He is in the bottom 8% of defenders for duels won per 90, wins 67.1% of his duels, but aerially, the reading is far worse. He is in the bottom 6% for aerial duels won per 90, winning only 57.1% of aerial duels attempted.
He is dispossessed 0.18 times per 90, putting him only just inside the top 50% of Premier League defenders. He makes 5.81 defensive contributions per 90, putting him in the bottom 1.1%.
0.65 tackles per 90, the bottom 6.7% and in the bottom 9% for clearances per 90. He was also sent off last season.
The smarter play for Arsenal, outside of signing a younger defender if they want to go that route, is to invest instead in Cristhian Mosquera. A player in the top 1% for tackles per 90, making 8.55 defensive contributions per game and having only just turned 22.
He has rough edges, but he’s far more able to improve and smooth those down with commitment. And instead, perhaps looking to full-backs on either side will help in dealing with the depth. With potentially White, who has posted comeback photos of him running this summer, could be a third choice right-sided centre-half next season too if he stays.
