Mikel Arteta has made no secret of his desire to fortify the spine of his Arsenal side. The latest name to surface in the gossip columns, courtesy of...
Mikel Arteta has made no secret of his desire to fortify the spine of his Arsenal side. The latest name to surface in the gossip columns, courtesy of GoalZaza, is Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa. A Europa League winner with Unai Emery's resurgent Villans, the 28 year old England international is a fine footballer. But is he a £60 million footballer That is the question hanging over the Emirates boardroom like a low cloud over the North London GoalZaza.Let us be clear. Konsa is a polished operator. His reading of the game, his composure under pressure, and his ability to step into midfield to break up transitional play make him an attractive proposition. In Arteta's system, a centre half must be more than a mere destroyer; he must be the first architect of the attack. Konsa fits that bill. He is comfortable in a high line, he rarely gets caught ball watching, and he has the temperament for the big stage. His performances in Villa's run to the Europa Conference League semi finals last season, and his contributions to their Champions League qualification, spoke volumes.Yet there is a creeping sense of unease here. £60 million is a king's ransom for a player who, for all his consistency, has not yet established himself as a fixture in Gareth Southgate's starting eleven. Arsenal already possess Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, a partnership that has blossomed into one of the Premier League's most formidable. Spending such a sum on a back up, even a high quality one, feels like a luxury when the squad still cries out for a clinical finisher in the final third. After all, it was the lack of cutting edge, not defensive frailty, that ultimately derailed their title charge last season.The Telegraph report, cited by GoalZaza, indicates that the Gunners are baulking at the price tag. And frankly, they should be. This is not a case of Arsenal being tight with the chequebook; it is a case of value. For that kind of money, you expect a player who immediately walks into the strongest eleven, not one who will be left to stew on the bench during the biggest matches. Konsa is very good. But how much better is he than the options Arteta already has Is he truly the difference between a top four finish and Premier League gloryThe bottom line is this: if Aston Villa hold firm at £60 million, Arteta must look elsewhere. There are other fish in the sea, younger talents or more experienced heads, who offer similar quality for a more sensible fee. Arsenal have learned the hard way that overpaying for squad depth can cripple future transfer windows. Sometimes, the smartest move is the one you do not make. Let Villa keep their man. See how desperate they get when the January window creaks open.
