Good morning, it’s new Premier League season eve.
Let’s begin immediately with information that Arsenal have reached an settlement with Aston Villa over the switch of Ezri Konsa. I’ve seen it reported the payment is within the area of £50m, and the 28 12 months previous can have a medical immediately apparently.
First, I feel a signing like that is completely mandatory. We’re very mild on the right-hand aspect of defence with William Saliba out within the medium to long run, and with a query mark over Jurrien Timber’s health nonetheless, regardless of the very fact the noises appear to be fairly constructive about his progress. We simply can not simply ask Ben White to play each minute of each sport till he will get injured once more, and as a lot as I fee Cristhian Mosquera, he can’t play each sport both.
So, on that foundation, Konsa is sensible. He’s been a Premier League common with Aston Villa for the reason that 2019-20 season, chalking up 231 league appearances, in addition to European expertise in that point as nicely throughout the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Convention League. He’s primarily a centre-half, however can play at right-back too, one thing we all know will tick a field for Mikel Arteta. His harm report is sweet too, there’s no large historical past to fret about there, and by way of how he performs, you’ll be able to see why he’s somebody Arsenal have checked out to fill the hole left by Saliba.
Let me be very clear, I feel Saliba is healthier, however then Saliba is healthier than just about everybody. Nonetheless, he does play a specific position with us on the ball, his passing is safe and correct, and whenever you take a look at the 2 aspect by aspect from final season within the league, there are parallels.
There’s additionally this from OptaJoe, who report: 92.5% – Ezri Konsa had the best move completion fee below high-intensity stress of any participant within the Premier League final season (min. 100 move makes an attempt).
Once more, you’ll be able to see why that might carry him on Arsenal’s radar within the absence of the French worldwide. Defensively, nicely that’s a bit much less clear. We play in a distinct model from Villa who’ve typically used a treacherously excessive line which might depart their defenders uncovered, however once more you’ll be able to see similarities of their stats from final season, with one apparent exception.
This can be right down to how groups play in opposition to us versus how they play in opposition to Villa, and even game-states, however I feel typically we underestimate how good Saliba is within the air, as a result of it was – maybe – the weakest a part of his sport in his early days within the first workforce. It’s one thing he’s improved lots, so whereas the stats don’t inform you all the things, and I realise these aspect by aspect comparisons of only one season generally is a little simplistic, there’s a large hole there in aerial duels contested. Konsa’s success fee is healthier, however in case you’re an space the place he may be extra proactive, that’s in all probability it.
As I’ve stated typically in relation to a switch of this sort, it’s by no means going to be the type of deal that will get everybody leaping up and down with pleasure. We’ve signed an skilled defender to assist us offset the absence of top-of-the-line centre-halves on the planet, and who may also take among the burden off gamers who can’t be run into the bottom like they’ve been earlier than. It’s purposeful, and I don’t imply that in any manner pejoratively.
As for the payment, £50m does appear costly to me for a participant who is popping 29 in October (however till then stays 28 and so forth and so forth), however genuinely, I discover it so arduous nowadays to grasp the costs golf equipment are paying for gamers. The market, at the least relating to offers inside the Premier League, has been skewed a lot by the large offers executed by Man Metropolis and Chelsea this summer season, however then Arsenal too have performed a component in that. We’ve paid £50m and £75m for a pair of 28 12 months olds from Villa and Newcastle. Signings, by the way in which, which make numerous sense to me, and I don’t have any specific challenge with Konsa or Guimaraes themselves, but when different golf equipment then begin to use these costs as a information for the late 20s gamers they wish to promote, then that might be an comprehensible growth.
Possibly there was a distinct manner. Possibly we may have discovered a younger right-back to usher in, used White and Timber as centre-halves when wanted alongside Mosquera, and paid lower than we did for Konsa, however that doesn’t really feel very Arteta to me. I don’t suppose the interior resolution was there. We shouldn’t play gamers out of place if we might help it, and we couldn’t put the load of defending a title on a 16 12 months previous. In case you’re being beneficiant concerning the motivations for the Villa man, past his means to plug and play right away, you would argue Arsenal are conscious of the Marli Salmon pathway, however I think that was a a lot much less necessary consideration than having a participant who may be able to go roughly as quickly as he arrives.
We wanted this signing, however with the arrival of Konsa on prime of Guimaraes, Tzolis and Piero Hincapie – whose payment was paid this summer season – it has introduced Arsenal’s outlay to north of £200m this summer season, offset by the £42m or so we obtained for Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard and Jakub Kiwior whose transfer to Porto was made everlasting earlier in the summertime.
It’s why Richard Garlick wasn’t precisely steadfast about refusing provides for sure gamers when he spoke to the BBC, and if – as many people do – you’re feeling like an attacking addition on this window is important for us to be stronger subsequent season, the concept that we may splash one other £100m on that participant with out bringing in one thing important doesn’t actually make sense.
The season kicks off tomorrow, the window is open till September 1st, and it wouldn’t shock me if there was fairly a little bit of motion in that point. A few of which, I’m afraid, we would not like. However let’s see.
For some further studying this morning, Tim’s annual ‘It’s an enormous season for …’ column is out now. We’ll have a pre-season Arsecast for you a bit afterward this morning, the large Arseblog season preview publish afterward too, and this afternoon a better look forward to tomorrow evening in our preview podcast on Patreon.
So, tons to return, for now, have an excellent one.
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