Aston Villa have been told that Ezri Konsa is worth £60m following the Englishman’s rise under Unai Emery, based on the beliefs of journalist John Townley.
Unai Emery has unearthed a host of talent at Aston Villa, turning some of the squad’s less reliable players into crucial assets.
The Spaniard arrived when the Villans were in 15th and has since transformed the club, with Champions League football now a real target for the Midlands side to aim for this season.
One player that the former Arsenal boss has revolutionised is Ezri Konsa, who has starred since venturing out at right-back on occasions this campaign.
The turnaround of Ezri Konsa at Aston Villa
The 2020/21 season gave fans at Villa Park a feeling that they had a world-beater of a centre-back in Konsa, who was dominating in central defence alongside Tyrone Mings.
The Englishman was a crucial part of Dean Smith’s side but the tables quickly turned following the manager’s dismissal, with the 26-year-old being one of the players to lose balance in the squad amid change.
Luckily for the Londoner, Emery arrived and rejuvenated the defender’s outlook on life at Villa, where he has once again become an integral part of the club’s back line.
There was always knowledge that the £75k-a-week gem had the tools to play at right-back, however this season, his strength in that area was fully unleashed by the boss, who has trialled a back three at times.
What John Townley said about Ezri Konsa
With his ability to switch between the two defensive areas and his general rise in performance this term, journalist John Townley put a high price tag on the Englishman during the Claret & Blue podcast.
Speaking on the quality that the Villans currently have within their squad, Townley named Konsa as one of the more expensive assets that Emery owns.
“Aston Villa have assets across the whole team, you look at Konsa for example, that’s surely a £60m player.”
The comment was made in a discussion over the impact of Pau Torres, who the journalist backed to be “the best centre-back in the world” based on his skills when playing out from the back.
The stats show why Ezri Konsa is rated so highly
With Tyrone Mings working his way back from injury and Konsa currently doing the same, the manager may soon go from having limited options in defence to having a headache over selection.
It’s a predicament that the Villans will be glad to be in after their struggles prior to Emery’s reign, with Konsa being one individual to emerge from the rubble as one of the best.
Lauded as “incredible” by teammate Matty Cash, it’s not just at Villa that Konsa is showing his worth, or in the Premier League for that matter, with his numbers over the past year suggesting that he is one of the top defenders in Europe’s top five leagues.
As per FBref, the Englishman ranks within the top 9% of centre-backs in Europe for his average of 73.3% of dribblers tackled per 90, as well as showing his progressive side with 0.86 take-ons attempted per 90.
Having seen the success and added dimension that Pau’s progressive play has embedded into Villa’s back line, the numbers declare that Konsa has a similar effect, supporting evidence as to why Townley believes his price tag could be so high.
