Arsenal are making progress during negotiations to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa and hope to strike a compromise over a fee in the coming days.
Mikel Arteta is eager to bolster his defence after the serious injury to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber’s return to fitness.
There is an awareness that one more injury in this area of the pitch could leave the champions short.
And a right-sided defender has been highlighted as a priority for the Gunners as they bid to defend their Premier League title.
Konsa, who featured for England during the World Cup this summer, is expected to cost around £50m.
The 28-year-old would likely compete with Cristhian Mosquera to deputise for Saliba alongside Gabriel Magalhaes to start the season against Coventry at home on Friday night.
While Konsa can also provide cover at right-back, as an alternative to Ben White with Jurrien Timber managing his comeback from groin surgery this summer.
There is growing confidence that a deal will be struck, with Villa initially valuing Konsa at around £60m.
Following victory in the Community Shield against Man City, Arteta confirmed that the club had been working “for weeks” to upgrade at the back.
With Saliba expected to be out for months due to a back problem and Timber’s role restricted initially, Konsa can provide immediate cover for the Gunners.
Arteta could then opt for White at right-back initially and Mosquera at centre-back, alongside Gabriel, with Konsa likely to become available next week should a deal accelerate.
While Riccardo Calafiori would complete the back four in front of David Raya, with the defence providing the foundation for Arsenal’s rise under Arteta.
Konsa’s rise comes after a seven-year stay with Villa, having joined from Brentford for £12m in 2019.
He is set to become the latest player to leave Villa this summer, with the upheaval under Unai Emery also including the sales of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, while the futures of Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez remain unclear.
