Aston Villa really cannot catch a break this transfer window. It feels like every few days another one of their star players is being circled by a bigger club, and now it is Ezri Konsa who finds himself at the centre of the speculation. The Daily Mail is reporting that Arsenal have stepped up their interest in the England defender, with a fee in the region of £60 million being talked about. That is serious money for a centre-back, but when you look at what Konsa has done over the past couple of seasons, it is not a figure that comes completely out of nowhere.
Konsa has genuinely been one of the better defenders in the Premier League during Villa's rise under Unai Emery, and Arsenal are clearly looking to strengthen at the back. Whether Villa can hold on to him is the real question. They managed to keep hold of a number of their key men last summer but the financial pull of Arsenal, and the lure of Champions League football, makes things complicated. Villa fans will be hoping their club has the muscle to say no, but it gets harder every window.
Over on Merseyside, Liverpool are apparently keeping tabs on Real Madrid youngster Raul Asencio. The Spanish defender has impressed when given his chances at the Bernabeu, but Real Madrid have a habit of producing players that half of Europe suddenly decides they need. Whether Liverpool actually push this one through remains to be seen, but Arne Slot is clearly thinking carefully about how he wants to build his squad for the long term.
From a Manchester United fan's perspective, watching Arsenal and Liverpool potentially strengthen their defences is not exactly comfortable viewing. Both clubs are already difficult enough to deal with as it is. Still, rumours are rumours until the paperwork is signed, and the window has a way of throwing up plenty of surprises before the deadline arrives. Villa deserve some sympathy here too — building something special only to have it picked apart by wealthier clubs is genuinely frustrating to watch, regardless of who you support.
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