Aston Villa have turned their attention to Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as manager Unai Emery prepares to rebuild his defensive options this summer.
Ezri Konsa is set to leave Villa Park after Arsenal agreed a £51 million deal to sign the England international from the Midlands club.
The departure of such an influential defender creates an obvious gap in Villa’s backline that Emery will need to address quickly before the new season gets underway.
Adarabioyo, 28, has emerged as one of the leading candidates being considered to fill the void left by Konsa’s expected exit.
According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa are interested in signing Adarabioyo as a direct replacement for the outgoing defender whose move to Arsenal has now been confirmed.
Chelsea are currently prepared to listen to offers for the centre-back as they continue trimming Xabi Alonso’s squad ahead of next season.
TEAMtalk reports that Marseille, Benfica and Sevilla have also shown interest in Adarabioyo, meaning competition for his signature could increase quickly.
The former Fulham defender is not Villa’s only option, but his availability in the current market makes him a particularly attractive proposition for the club.
Replacing Konsa with Adarabioyo would represent a logical piece of business, given the Chelsea defender already understands the demands of Premier League football.
At 28, Adarabioyo would arrive ready to contribute immediately rather than requiring a lengthy adaptation period to settle into Emery’s system.
He also possesses the physical profile that Emery generally values in his central defenders, making him a natural stylistic fit for the role.
One challenge Villa would face is that Adarabioyo is much more naturally suited to centre-back, while Konsa offered the versatility to operate at right-back as well.
Arsenal were attracted to Konsa partly because of that positional flexibility, which means Villa may need to make an additional defensive signing alongside any Adarabioyo deal.
Financially, the move carries genuine appeal for Villa, who can negotiate from a position of strength having already secured £51 million from Arsenal for Konsa.
Chelsea’s willingness to sell should also give Villa room to negotiate a reasonable fee rather than being forced to overpay in a competitive market.
There is also a recent working relationship between the two clubs after Chelsea signed Morgan Rogers from Villa earlier this summer, which may help smooth any potential negotiations.
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