Arsenal are looking at Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, and if you're pricing up a centre-back market for the Gunners this summer, pencil in around £60m — because that's what Villa will demand for a player with two years still on his contract.
Konsa has been one of the more underrated defenders in the Premier League over the past few seasons, offering composure, athleticism, and the kind of reading of the game that Mikel Arteta prizes. Arsenal are also monitoring his Villa team-mate Morgan Rogers, which suggests genuine interest in unpicking Unai Emery's squad rather than a casual glance. Whether Villa sell either is another matter entirely — they're building something, not dismantling it.
United turn to Baleba after missing out on Fernandes
Manchester United's summer is shaping up as a series of near-misses and pivots. Having missed out on Mateus Fernandes — who instead joined Spurs from West Ham — United have reportedly turned their attention to Brighton's Carlos Baleba. The 22-year-old was on their radar last summer too, but no deal materialised. Brighton's asking price is north of £70m, and given how the Seagulls have handled their player sales in recent years, they won't blink first.
Baleba is exactly the kind of energetic, ball-winning midfielder United need — young, physically imposing, and already proven in the Premier League. The price is steep. But so is the cost of another season running out of ideas in the middle of the park.
Palhinha says goodbye, Spurs rebuild under De Zerbi
Joao Palhinha's loan spell at Tottenham is over, and the Portugal international made sure to leave on good terms. "What truly defines a great institution and a great football club is its supporters," he wrote on Instagram. "Players, managers and directors come and go, but the fans remain."
It's a gracious exit from a player who arrived from Bayern Munich but won't factor into Roberto De Zerbi's plans. Spurs, for their part, have been busy — Fernandes is in, and Sandro Tonali is arriving from Newcastle in a deal that could reach £100m overall. De Zerbi is clearly being backed to reshape this squad after a Premier League survival battle last term. Whether Tonali, still rebuilding his reputation after his gambling ban, can be the midfield anchor Spurs need is the real question hanging over that deal.
Elsewhere, Leeds have gone back in for Southampton's Shea Charles with a second bid of £23m plus add-ons. Charles made 38 appearances in the Championship last season — solid output, and clearly enough to convince Leeds he's worth a second attempt. Meanwhile, Bournemouth's Romain Faivre has headed back to France on a one-year loan with Auxerre, his fourth club in as many years. At 27, he's running out of time to find a permanent home.
