Aston Villa eye Tosin Adarabioyo as key to fill Konsa void

Aston Villa are scrambling to replace England centre‑back Ezri Konsa, whose move to Arsenal is set for a Thursday medical, and have identified Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo as a primary target. The 28‑year‑old, on a free transfer in 2024, has 16 Premier League appearances this season.

Ezri Konsa is set to undergo a medical with Arsenal on Thursday after Villa agreed a fee in excess of £50 million with the Gunners. The England centre‑back’s departure leaves Unai Emery with limited central‑defence options. Getty images show Konsa in an Arsenal kit as the medical date approaches.

Chelsea’s 28‑year‑old Tosin Adarabioyo has less than two years left on his contract and arrived on a free transfer in 2024 after leaving the Cottagers. He made 16 Premier League appearances last season, a campaign disrupted by hamstring and calf injuries, and has been stripped of his No 4 shirt, now wearing No 38.

Fikayo Tomori, capped six times by England, has been placed on AC Milan’s transfer list as he enters the final year of his deal. The former Chelsea graduate logged 17 Premier League games before moving to Milan in 2021 and has since added a Serie A title and an Italian Super Cup to his résumé.

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Defensive depth under pressure

Villa’s remaining central‑defence options include Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof and Tyrone Mings, alongside 21‑year‑old Modou Keba Cisse, signed from Austrian champions LASK. Recent arrivals also feature goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, left‑back Matteo Ruggeri, and forwards Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi and Alejandro Garnacho.

The club kicks off the new season away to Brighton on Sunday with a 2pm kickoff. Garnacho is a doubt for the match, while Gomes and Manzambi have already been ruled out.

Securing a new centre‑back is therefore a priority for Villa as they aim to restore balance to a back line thinned by Konsa’s exit. Both Adarabioyo and Tomori are viewed as immediate solutions to bolster the defensive unit.