In a summer of high-profile departures, Konsa's Villa exit will hit hardest
20.08.26, 10:30 Updated 25.08.26, 12:20
Michael Plant
Few watching Ezri Konsa on a consistent basis during his first season at Aston Villa would have believed the heights he would go on to scale.
Tentative, error-prone and lacking physicality, that first 12 months in the Premier League was a baptism of fire. The defender spent much of the campaign paying second fiddle to the now club-less Bjorn Engles and failed to start any of the first 11 league matches. Even when Konsa did force his way into the side, he was often deployed at right-back, such was his inconsistency in the centre.
And yet, six years later, the England international looks set to sign for the Premier League champions. It’s a move that will not be celebrated in the West Midlands for obvious reasons, but some at Villa will see his reported £51m transfer fee as a badge of honour for the club’s recruitment and player development pathways.
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Michael Plant Freelance reporter. Nearly a decade's experience in the media industry and a former Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool club correspondent. A Villa fan from birth, Michael was born in Birmingham but grew up in Belfast.