Arsenal preparing offer for Ezri Konsa as William Saliba faces injury assessment

By Chukwuemeka Umeh — 18 July 2026 — 4 min read

Arsenal’s Defensive Strategy Amidst Injury Concerns

Arsenal are reportedly preparing an offer for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who has not yet agreed to a new deal with his current club. Concurrently, discussions are ongoing between Arsenal and Morgan Rogers‘ representatives, as well as Aston Villa, regarding the player’s future. These developments come as Arsenal faces uncertainty over the fitness of defender William Saliba.

Saliba, a France centre-back, has been dealing with a back issue for several weeks, a problem that persisted through his World Cup duties. The injury appeared to worsen during France‘s semi-final loss to Spain, where he was substituted after only 30 minutes of play. Upon his return to London, Arsenal will assess the injury, with surgery being one of the options under consideration. An operation would likely necessitate a prolonged recovery period for the defender.

Last season, Saliba made 50 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal. During that period, the club ended a 22-year wait to secure the Premier League title and reached the final of the Champions League. Earlier in the World Cup, Saliba acknowledged having minor niggles for several months, stating he had been enduring the pain due to the significance of the Champions League, the Premier League, and the quadrennial World Cup.

He missed France‘s final group stage match against Norway but returned for the knockout phase. France is scheduled to play England in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

Transfer Market Activity and Other Club Interests

The potential long-term absence of Saliba has reportedly prompted Arsenal to consider strengthening their defensive options. Reports suggest that the club was pursuing a deal to re-sign Dinos Mavropanos, who was named West Ham‘s player of the year last season. Mavropanos could be available following West Ham‘s relegation, with Borussia Dortmund and Leeds United also reportedly interested in the player.

In other transfer news, Aston Villa continues to explore the market for wingers. Among the names on their radar are Crysencio Summerville from West Ham and Ibrahim Mbaye of PSG. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace reportedly values Chelsea target Maxence Lacroix at up to £60m, with the defender expressing a desire to leave Crystal Palace amidst interest from Chelsea.

Ipswich Town had a bid for FC Volendam goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen rejected, while Hull is set to sign Olympiacos‘ Konstantis Tzolakis as a replacement for Ivor Pandur. Celtic missed out on bringing back Kelechi Iheanacho due to wage demands but are reportedly intensifying their interest in Egypt‘s World Cup winger Haissem Hassan.

Regarding other appointments, Thomas Tuchel‘s selection as England head coach in 2024 did not receive unanimous support from FA board members. Some members believed the position should have gone to an English candidate, rather than someone without prior international team management experience. Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha is being considered for Tuchel‘s squad next season as the England head coach aims to build a team for Euro 2028. Tuchel has privately denied accusations that he encouraged his England team to try and hold onto a lead against Argentina in their World Cup semi-final defeat. One leading physiologist in sport suggests that England‘s players were burdened by severe fatigue during their match against Argentina.

Sir Gareth Southgate is scheduled to attend Sunday’s World Cup final, a long-planned trip by the former England manager that would have proceeded even if England had won their semi-final match.

Gianni Infantino has received formal endorsement from over 200 countries for re-election as Fifa‘s president, despite a climate of unrest following a scandal concerning Folarin Balogun‘s reprieve from suspension. The World Cup final is not under threat despite air quality warnings in the area. In cricket, Justin Langer is believed to be a top candidate for the ECB‘s men’s Test team coach position, after Andy Flower withdrew his name from consideration on Friday.

Arsenal‘s pursuit of new signings continues, with the club having spent £250million last summer. They have already secured backup goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer and made Piero Hincapie‘s loan from Bayer Leverkusen permanent in a deal for the Ecuador international. These acquisitions have been offset by the departures of Karl Hein, Jakub Kiwior, and Leandro Trossard. Arsenal‘s ambitions to sign Emmanuel Mbemba from Paris Saint-Germain did not materialize, as the teenager opted for a move to Paris FC instead, despite interest from Arsenal and AS Monaco. Mbemba, who captained PSG‘s under-18s side, is capable of playing at left-back or in central defence and featured for PSG in the UEFA Youth League for two previous campaigns.

Marco Neppe, Paris FC sporting director, expressed delight at Mbemba choosing their project, highlighting his versatility, playing style, passion, and determination. Neppe stated that the club would support Mbemba‘s development with the first team.

The ongoing discussions around Konsa and Rogers, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Saliba‘s injury, indicate a dynamic period for Arsenal in the transfer market. The club’s strategic decisions in the coming weeks will be crucial as they navigate potential defensive adjustments and continue to build their squad.

Source: skysports.com