M A T T

Jesus first. AFC

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨🔴⚪️ Arsenal made contact with Atlético Madrid to discuss Julián Álvarez deal conditions.

Direct meeting took place in London with Atléti director Mateu Alemany.

Price currently too high + Julián never opened doors to England so far as wanted to join Barça… but #AFC tried.

🎥➕ https://t.co/5zVWgWXqEV

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Ezri Konsa in line to make Arsenal debut at Aston Villa on Aug 31 following transfer between clubs. #AFC’s primary defensive target all window & eventually found compromise with #AVFC to secure move 28yo wanted. W/ @J_Tanswell @gunnerblog @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/EQrZw4HbYB

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Ezri Konsa completes move from Aston Villa to Arsenal. Final transfer fee for 28yo defender £51m + £4m add-ons to #AVFC. England international underwent #AFC medical yesterday & has now put pen to paper on 4yr contract with option of 5th @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/9Cf7W3wODd

[Mark Goldbridge @markgoldbridge]

Come one lads! This is just broad daylight dodgy at this stage. Premier League they are taking the piss. What next? Kalvin Phillips for 150 mil

[The Football Era @Footballera0]

How do you sign a player for £30m, then after he flops for two seasons you sell him for €100m?

I really can’t wrap my head around this concept.

It’s either City are doing something scandalous again or Spurs are just absolutely stupid. There’s no two ways about it.

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨👋🏼 Mikel Arteta on Arsenal planning sales: “It’s a really, really tough moment. We need to face that reality”.

“We all know everything has a start and an end. We need to make difficult decisions”.

[Franchise 🎳 @franchisexcl]

Ezri Konsa set to be announced tomorrow bar any changes / expected to walk out prior to Premier League kick off start vs #Coventry at the Emirates. Contract signed, media duties done and medical passed + met all players already. Eberechi Eze excited as hell!

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨🔴⚪️ Mikel Arteta: “Myles Lewis-Skelly STAYS. I am 100% sure”.

[HandofArsenal @HandofArsenal]

Mikel Artera confirms MLS “100%” stays at Arsenal this season.

Finally, put to bed.

[🃏 @mannydubbs]

i can’t lie, taking newcastle’s captain and villa’s top cb after their fans have spent years tryna force rivalries with us does feel good.

[HandofArsenal @HandofArsenal]

Ezri Konsa will formalise his move to The English Champions today. Media & Medical.

2 bits of unconfirmed info. I was told he will take #15 and could be presented pre-game tomorrow.

Arsenal are still active in the market for the right player.

[Renato @orehnato]

Wenger he’s done it again

[The Football Era @Footballera0]

Yeah… nothing expresses dominance more than Arsenal’s valuation strategy this window.

They’ve basically signed two of the best players in the league in their respective positions, Bruno Guimarães and Konsa, from fellow Premier League clubs, Newcastle and Aston Villa, at their own valuation, not the valuation of the selling clubs.

Arsenal basically said: we’ll sign your best players, and we’ll do it at our price, not yours.

Fair play to Berta and Arteta here. They’ve pulled an absolute blinder. 👏

[Simon Collings @sr_collings]

If Arsenal want Ezri Konsa to be in squad for Coventry game on Friday, deal must be done by midday tomorrow.

Otherwise defender will have to wait for the next game to make his debut.

Checks notes, that is...Aston Villa away.

[Franchise 🎳 @franchisexcl]

I’ll give my details on the whole Berta situation if you’d like.

Andrea Berta entered the window with a more strict ish approach. He entered the inflated market with set valuations for targets.

Sandro Tonali; who was internally seen as the midfield target - £100m was quoted, Berta wanted to pay £80m at a maximum, so he moved on.

Then Rogers, internal value worth up to £80m when #AVFC demanded £100m, we moved on, and then #AVFC demanded £117m, we came back with £100m, doesn’t make sense does it? We’ve offered what they wanted two weeks late, and by that time, they inflated the Roger’s deal already.

Onto Bradley Barcola, internally viewed as a backup option to Rogers, we had talks with his camp, they were interested in our project, #PSG demand £150m, we say no, we move on - fair play here.

Now #PSG demand £130m, we haven’t moved, not even trying to negotiate a deal, #LFC have an open run at a potential superstar winger.

Onto Bruno Guimaraes, internal value set by Berta up to £65m, Josh Kroenke has to enter the deal because of how stubborn the sporting director acted, we went up to £80m, when Newcastle wanted £100m, Josh got it done - fair play.

Now Ezri Konsa, Berta openly tells Villa were not paying more then £40m - #AVFC fairly take offence to that, as he’s a English international and top defender, so they choose to not negotiate a deal with Arsenal, Konsa comes out and says, I really want this move for my career, Villa help him out and present a counter offer to their original valuation - £60m, counter offer was up to £52m - Josh Kroenke steps in and gets it done.

Josh Kroenke going into this window, presented a plan to Mikel Arteta to raise the squad level in all areas of the pitch, Ezri Konsa an upgrade on our backup RCB, Bruno Guimaraes - one of the best midfielders in the world and Christos Tzolis, an upgrade on Leandro Trossard / Kroenke set out an attacking budget worth up to £150m for Vinicius Junior, now that he’s not available, Josh has stayed true to his word, and has decided to allocate a strong budget to an attacking signing if the market presents an opportunity to raise the level. Andrea Berta still has his valuations, meaning Josh will have to intervene in any blockbuster potential deals for Kenan Yildiz, Bradley Barcola or Julian Alvarez.

Thank you, Franchise. 🎳

[M A T T @Matt_Weldon_95]

@franchisexcl Literally thought about this last night as the best possible move. Needs prem experience but so few veteran prem managers left to trust Ethan with

[OG LOC🇨🇩 @osowxvyy]

We leaked the Quansah interest to lower the Konsa price 😹😹

[Franchise 🎳 @franchisexcl]

Let me reveal something, Josh Kroenke has been the star this window, overtaken Berta somehow in most negotiations, owner to owner has been the strategy all summer. Josh has been in negotiations with Newcastle board, to agree a deal for Guimaraes, and is now in talks with some members at #AVFC for Ezri Konsa, which now looks very imminent, so it’s safe to say he’s led the charge for our “bigger” deals this summer.

Mikel Arteta had set out his target list at the start of the window, if involved Ezri Konsa, a backup goalkeeper, Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes/Sandro Tonali and Julian Alvarez. The club has been successful in executing all but one, one left maybe? 👀

[Sami Mokbel @SamiMokbel_BBC]

Arsenal agree deal with Aston Villa for Ezri Konsa. Deal in-excess of £50million inclusive of add-ons. Preparation for medical now underway. https://t.co/4xdyfyArxD

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 BREAKING: Agreement in principle in place between Arsenal and Aston Villa for Ezri Konsa for in excess of £50m.

Medical confirmed for Thursday, as previously reported.