Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa, with growing optimism that a deal to bring him to the Emirates can be completed. Konsa remains the Premier League champions' first-choice defensive target, though Arsenal have yet to meet Villa's £60m valuation, having briefly turned attention to Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah before refocusing on the Villa man.

The 28-year-old has made 286 appearances since joining Villa in July 2019 and was a key figure last season as Unai Emery's side won the Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League. He has featured in every England game during their third-place World Cup finish but has played no part in Villa's pre-season, having been given time off by Emery. Villa are already contending with major squad upheaval this summer, including sales of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also expected to leave.