Arsenal have made their fifth permanent signing of the summer by welcoming Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa to the Emirates Stadium in a £51m deal with their Premier League rivals16:02, 21 Aug 2026Updated 16:12, 21 Aug 2026Arsenal have completed the signing of Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa as the latest stage of their summer spending spree. The Gunners have aimed for a refresh of their squad this summer after lifting last season’s crown.‌The north London side have already completed five deals, with moves for Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier, while Piero Hincapie has also completed a permanent switch to the Emirates.‌Aston Villa and England star Konsa has now become the fifth addition of the summer window. Arsenal agreed to pay £51million for his services, with a further £4m in add-ons.‌Konsa, 28, has signed a four-year deal with his new employers and will now give Arsenal more defensive options, with William Saliba set for a spell on the sidelines with a back injury.FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page‌“I’m super excited. It's a privilege to be here and can’t wait to get started,” he said in his first interview as a Gunner," Konsa said. “I want to keep winning, I’m hungry to win and that’s what I’m here for. It's a proud moment for me and my family to play for one of the best teams in the world.”"We’re delighted to have completed the signing of Ezri Konsa," Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta said.“Ezri is a defender of high quality, whose athleticism, composure and tactical intelligence have established him as one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers. Being comfortable in both central defence and at right-back, Ezri will bring valuable versatility to our squad while maintaining the high defensive standards which are fundamental to our challenge of winning major trophies.‌“We are welcoming a player with proven Premier League and international experience, and strong leadership qualities, who will adapt seamlessly to our style of play. Just as importantly, we are welcoming a player with the character and mentality to make an immediate impact within our club."Konsa leaves Villa after a hugely successful seven-year spell in the Midlands. He joined the side from Brentford in 2019 and went on to make 286 appearances for the club, helping them to the Europa League last term, as well as three seasons in Europe.‌He will quickly be reunited with his former club, with Arsenal taking on Emery's side next weekend in their second game of the campaign. Konsa’s arrival comes off the back of comments from Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick as he vowed that the club would only be signing players that took them to the next level this summer.He said: "It's players that are going to take Arsenal forward. In the past we've looked at players that maybe helped build out the squad or get us to a certain level, but now we're competing right at the top level, and we do need to bring in players that are going to change the dial.‌"That might be younger players that come into your squad and give them time to develop, and you've seen that in the last couple of years at Arsenal, and if we're able to combine those players that are coming through the academy with some of the best players in the world then we've got every chance of maintaining that success and going beyond what we've already achieved."He added: "We said at the start of this season we're about to embark on that we're not going to stand still and pat ourselves on the back and say, 'Well done, job done, nothing else to do'. We want to move forward - the best clubs are always moving forward."You can see we've already invested in the squad this season, and if the right opportunity arises, then we will look to strengthen in all areas."Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.