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Matt Maher: Aston Villa must hold firm on Ezri Konsa valuation Express & Star chief sports writer Matt Maher has his say on the defender’s future. There is surely no-one at Arsenal who truly believes Ezri Konsa is only worth £30million. That is believed to have been the initial figure the Gunners were willing to offer when they first approached Villa about the England international earlier in the summer. Little wonder Villa told them to clear off. Offering £30m, for one of the most consistent centre-backs in European football over recent seasons, in a summer where a defender has just moved from Brighton to Tottenham for £52m? It’s pretty insulting, almost in the territory of £3m-plus Josh Onomah which Spurs infamously once offered for Jack Grealish. Villa want £60m, a valuation which considering Konsa’s age (28) and quality, would appear more than reasonable. Arsenal are back in talks but apparently still reluctant to offer anywhere close to the figure Villa desire. Good luck getting Nassef Sawiris to lower it. Villa’s chairman is not the kind who likes to sell players on the cheap, as the Gunners already know. Heading into the summer they appeared clear favourites to sign Morgan Rogers and were happy to brief he was their main attacking target. Yet they also wanted to haggle with Sawiris over the price and the delay allowed Chelsea to move in, with an offer Villa found respectable, and off went Rogers to Stamford Bridge. It’s not clear why they think a similar tactic will work with Konsa? Perhaps there is a hope the player will agitate for a move. After all, it’s not often you are wanted by the champions. The offer of a new contract at Villa remains unsigned. But then agitation is not particularly Konsa’s style. There’s also the question, as the Gunners are so clearly content to lowball, at just how serious they are about signing him. Either way, Konsa’s future is the big uncertainty during the closing weeks of Villa’s transfer window. For all that Unai Emery has been encouraged at the club’s approach to a summer of change, losing the vice-captain might risk removing one too many threads from the fabric. Every player has their price. On Konsa’s, Villa should hold firm.