Arsenal could offer five players as makeweight in Ezri Konsa swap deal

Arsenal could land Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa this summer by offering the Midlands side one of their own stars in a player-plus-cash deal

Arsenal's desire to land Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa this summer could see them offer one of their own players to sweeten the deal.

The Premier League champions have reportedly touted a proposal of around £40million for the England star, significantly short of Villa’s £60m valuation. With William Saliba facing a lengthy lay-off, Mikel Arteta is serious about chasing a centre-back this summer and Konsa, 28, appears to be the one he wants.

He played no part in Villa's 2-1 defeat to Paris St Germain in the Super Cup on Wednesday night as he continues his break following England's World Cup run to the semi-finals. He has two years remaining on his current deal at Villa Park and it's thought the Midlands side want him to extend his deal with them.

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Villa are not under financial pressure to sell either. They've already generated significant funds on Morgan Rogers (£117m to Chelsea), Youri Tielemans (£35m to Man United) and Lucas Digne (£8.5m to PSG) this summer.

Could any of Arsenal's fringe players entice Villa boss Unai Emery to make a deal? We've taken a look at five players the Gunners could potentially offer to help bring Konsa to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Ben White

White has been persistently hampered by injury problems role since he joined from Brighton for £50m in 2021. The England international made 30 appearances across all competitions last season but is behind Jurrien Timber in the pecking order at right-back.

The Villains are believed to be in for full-backs this summer with West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka of interest. Villa, instead, could utilise White's versatility to plug the gap left by a Konsa exit and ease their concerns at right-back, too.

Arsenal are also rumoured to be looking for another right-back, with White's contract up in 2028. It could make sense for the Gunners to offer White in part exchange for the player they've been chasing all summer.

Ethan Nwaneri

Nwaneri has been heavily linked with a move away from the Gunners this summer, with Galatasaray interested. It could be wise, however, for Arsenal to offer the starlet to Villa as part of any deal for Konsa.

The teenager’s future has been in doubt this summer following his return from a loan spell at Marseille last term. Emery could use a direct winger with John McGinn, who's more adept centrally, filling in out wide on a regular basis.

Yes, the Midlands club have recruited Alejandro Garnacho and Johan Manzambi this season, but they've lost Rogers, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott from their attacking options.

This leaves McGinn and Emiliano Buendia from last season, with Garnacho potentially the only out-and-out winger at Emery's disposal come the end of the window. The 19-year-old Nwaneri, who can play across the forward line, could therefore be an astute signing for Villa.

Myles Lewis-Skelly

This one is perhaps a bit of a long shot, given that Chelsea and Manchester United have both reportedly been offered the opportunity to sign Lewis-Skelly.

Arsenal could be tempted into selling the 19-year-old following the recent arrival of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, despite having only signed a contract extension at the Emirates Stadium last year.

Villa are believed to be in talks with Bayern Munich for Joao Palhinha, as they look to recruit another midfielder. Lewis-Skelly is naturally a central midfielder but also provides cover on the left-hand side of defence, proving double the incentive for Emery, with Villa also looking at a deal for Atletico Madrid's left-back Matteo Ruggeri.

His ceiling is clear, too. The versatile star has started every pre-season game as a defensive midfielder in the absence of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Guimaraes. It would be a major coup for Villa if they could land the youngster in any deal for Konsa.

Gabriel Martinelli

Like Nwaneri, Martinelli could be a highly attractive proposition for Villa in a deal for Konsa, but he could sugar-coat the deal further. The Brazilian has scored 62 goals and bagged 36 assists in 278 games for the Gunners, and while he plays on the left like Villa's Garnacho, he can play on the opposite side and even as a centre-forward.

It's a solid record and Arsenal, despite their eagerness to sign Konsa, may be reluctant to sanction an exit for a game-changer on his day without a replacement. That said, as reported by football.london this week, Arsenal have already received an approach from Galatasaray about a potential move for Martinelli.

It’s understood that Arsenal are not expected to consider entertaining allowing Martinelli to move to Turkey. This could leave the door open for Villa, with Martinelli arguably representing the Gunners' best bet when it comes to throwing in a player to secure Konsa for a cheaper fee than £60m.

Reiss Nelson

While it's been reported that West Ham are exploring a move for Nelson, he, like Martinelli, could be an attractive option for Villa. He can operate as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, having vast experience of the top-flight with 90 appearances for the north Londoners.

The 26-year-old remained on the bench for the duration of the Gunners' pre-season friendly loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, sparking further concerns regarding his future with the club.

The winger, who has spent the past two seasons on loan with Fulham and Brentford, has entered the final year of his contract in North London, too.

The Hammers are thought to be considering a season-long loan spell for Nelson, as per Sky Sports. Given his contractual situation, however, Arsenal could insist on a permanent transfer to avoid losing him as a free agent, which could open the door to his being used as a makeweight in a deal for Konsa.

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