Ezri Konsa

[Dick Edwards]

In a market where you need in excess of £50m to buy centre halves like Van Hecke and Lacroix, the England (ranked fourth in the world) regular centre back, and champions league experienced Ezri Konsa is worth way more than them. If Arsenal are really insulting us with bids of £35m we should have ended any conversation with them immediately.

[Bully2345]

I think Ugo and Konsa are pure defenders, but there was a spell under Brian Little when Ugo was so dominant it was unreal, Konsa loses a few points for that fall on the ball to get a free kick routine he does 2/3 times a game.

Personally I think Pau and Kamara are the 2 that makes this Emery team tick, and having a spine with Martinez, Konsa & Watkins is a massive advantage, which I'm hoping are going to be here all this season at least.

You think this is a bad thing? It's a massive pressure reliever and gets us into comfortable possession so seems strange to "lose points" for it!

Konsa is a phenomenal defender. If Arsenal are trying to do this on the cheap then keep him. Two years of Konsa and leaving on a free is better than getting a poor transfer fee now

[AV82EC]

I’m with SE on this one. If he won’t sign a new contract then the club need to decide whether they sell now for in the region of £60m plus or leave it a year see if he signs a new contract and if not then he leaves next summer for £30-£35m. One for the finance boys to advise Unai on value and impact on SCR and Unai to consider if he can get a replacement for £50m+. I’d prefer to keep with an imminent CL campaign, he is quality but if Unai decides he can replace with someone who fits the bill then we have to trust him to get it right.

[eye digress]

Equally, far better to try to replace him from a position of strength in the CL and with £64m in our pocket, than in a potential suboptimal scenario in 12 months when we may not have CL and have only £30m with which to do it.

More broadly, if we have to take risks, now is the time.

[Bosco81]

I think Ugo and Konsa are pure defenders, but there was a spell under Brian Little when Ugo was so dominant it was unreal, Konsa loses a few points for that fall on the ball to get a free kick routine he does 2/3 times a game.

Personally I think Pau and Kamara are the 2 that makes this Emery team tick, and having a spine with Martinez, Konsa & Watkins is a massive advantage, which I'm hoping are going to be here all this season at least.

You think this is a bad thing? It's a massive pressure reliever and gets us into comfortable possession so seems strange to "lose points" for it!

Konsa is a phenomenal defender. If Arsenal are trying to do this on the cheap then keep him. Two years of Konsa and leaving on a free is better than getting a poor transfer fee now

I wasn't being totally serious, it's my points system so I'll decide what counts, Ezri makes my all-time top 3 which is a great honour for him.

Watching some of the pre-season games, and seeing the likes of Cisse and TJ trying his free kick ruse must make him very proud, and agreed it is a good pressure reliever, until the ref doesn't blow his whistle at least.

[Tuscans]

🚨 NEW: Aston Villa are braced for a fresh bid from Arsenal for Ezri Konsa, amid attempts to tie him to a new contract.
@TomCollomosse

[Villatillidie25]

I get the high value now, low value next season point. it's perfectly valid. but in the context of: we've sold Tielemans and Rogers, lost Onana to injury and will be selling Digne shortly it seems bonkers to lose Konsa now. We're also only a couple of weeks before the season starts. it's now getting too late to lose any people we actually care about, which is also semi concerning from a buying perspective to be honest.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Assume Arse will offer 50p.

[Dante Lavelli]

Could we feasibly keep both Pau and Konsa until the end of their deals?  Stability for two seasons but a cliff edge when we get there.  Two season to grow or find cheap replacements...

 

[Bosco81]

Could we feasibly keep both Pau and Konsa until the end of their deals?  Stability for two seasons but a cliff edge when we get there.  Two season to grow or find cheap replacements...

That would be my preference, keeping these 2 for at least the next 2 seasons would give us more chance of qualifying for the Champions League than cashing in and hoping their replacements are of a similar level.

The make up of our squad with the likes of McGinn, Mings, Lindelov & Konsa patrolling the changing room, are the reason we have such a stable squad, which is the reason we are currently doing better than Chelsea & Spurs, who have squads filled with big money signings but aren’t particularly stable.

Sometimes players want to leave but if we can reduce the number of changes, that would try and keep the continuity we need, if Konsa won’t sign an extended contract we can deal with the fall out from that when/if it  happens.

[ChicagoLion]

Assume Arse will offer 50p.

They Dicked Newcastle around on Guimares so expect the same as they now have an even higher opinion of their status.

[Mellin]

[/quote]

Could we feasibly keep both Pau and Konsa until the end of their deals?  Stability for two seasons but a cliff edge when we get there.  Two season to grow or find cheap replacements...

That would be my preference, keeping these 2 for at least the next 2 seasons would give us more chance of qualifying for the Champions League than cashing in and hoping their replacements are of a similar level.

The make up of our squad with the likes of McGinn, Mings, Lindelov & Konsa patrolling the changing room, are the reason we have such a stable squad, which is the reason we are currently doing better than Chelsea & Spurs, who have squads filled with big money signings but aren’t particularly stable.

Sometimes players want to leave but if we can reduce the number of changes, that would try and keep the continuity we need, if Konsa won’t sign an extended contract we can deal with the fall out from that when/if it  happens.

Holding on to players until their contracts expire is not smart business and will effect the quality of their replacements. The club needed to be brave this summer and are doing so. I'm relieved about it. It might work, it might not. But holding on to our squad whilst it ages and having little money to replace the with due to SCR requirements is guaranteed regression.

If we get a bid for Konsa in the 60m region I bet we sell him...and we should. I reckon Emery helps pack his bags. Not because he doesn't rate him, but because he understands and helps manage the bigger financial picture. Unlike, say, Eddie Howe. How are things going for them right now?

[ChicagoLion]

If Konsa went then it would be hard not to draw comparisons with Newcastle and how they have been picked off by the “ big boys”.
I stumbled on that Arsenal twat Boothroyd ( who never actually played for the first team) on Sky, who was gleefull about it.

[eye digress]

Both Villa and the Jaudis would have sizeable budgets with these outgoings.

The difference is that we'd be working from a position of relative strength - CL football and a trophy still in the cabinet to help attract the right young talent, and stable, elite management that should enable us to make good any short-term quality gap.

As a result, the chances of it working in our favour are materially higher, in my view.

[Mellin]

Agreed. Ref: Manzambi