Arsenal identify surprise third target alongside England stars Konsa and Quansah
It wouldn’t be the summer transfer window without a defensive reinforcement at The Emirates. Once again, Arsenal are chasing an additional central defender as they look to provide cover in the absence of William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
Two familiar have immediately threatened to steal the headlines in Arsenal’s search. Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah and Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa are both on the Gunners’ radar.
Those in North London have held talks to sign both, but neither will come cheap. It wasn’t long ago that Liverpool had a buyback clause worth around £69m to re-sign Quansah. Even now that’s expired, Bayer Leverkusen could tell Arsenal to pay a similar price.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa reportedly value Konsa at a hefty £60m. If Arsenal want to sign either one of the England internationals, then they will need to spend big.
|
League stats 25/26 |
Jarell Quansah |
Ezri Konsa |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
2,302 |
3,036 |
|
Tackles |
28 |
22 |
|
Recoveries |
98 |
108 |
|
Duel success |
59.9% |
67.1% |
|
Pass accuracy |
90.3% |
95.5% |
|
Goals |
4 |
0 |
When compared, it’s easy to see why Quansah has entered Arsenal’s thinking not long after Konsa. Crucially, both can fill in at right-back and at centre-back whilst offering expertise in possession.
One thing to note is how impressive Quansah is from set pieces. The Gunners’ own set-piece threat is well known by now and the addition of the former Liverpool defender would only increase that threat.
It is just about the only thing that he’s got over Konsa, however. The Villa man outperformed his England colleague in recoveries, duel success and pass accuracy last season, but fell short on tackles. If it is to be one or the other, then the numbers suggest it has to be Konsa.
Alas, it is also worth pointing out that the extent of Arsenal’s shortlist doesn’t simply end with two England internationals. Andrea Berta’s search has also taken him to a surprising third option.
Arsenal now also targeting Jacobo Ramon
As reported by Ben Jacobs, Arsenal have also identified Jacobo Ramon as an option to solve their centre-back needs. The Como 1907 defender has emerged from out of nowhere and represents the unknown far more than familiar faces Quansah and Konsa.
Compared to the two England internationals, Ramon is not a player with extensive European experience.
In fact, he’s played just 12 minutes of Champions League football. That hasn’t stopped the Premier League interest from coming, though. The BBC reported that Chelsea wanted to secure Ramon’s signature back in June, before a move failed to take place. It’s now advantage Arsenal.
The 21-year-old is also more of a traditional centre-back compared to others. At 6’5, he is not someone who can provide support at right-back, with the majority of his good work coming out of possession – making 50 tackles in Serie A last season.
It’s a left-field option from Arsenal and one that doesn’t really align with the other targets, but it could all come down to price with just two weeks left of the transfer window. While Villa and Leverkusen potentially demand upwards of £60m, it remains to be seen whether Como would demand such a fee for their own defensive star.
