Double Aston Villa contract update as talks 'expected' amid Arsenal links
Aston Villa are expected to hold contract talks with starting centre backs Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres, with discussions potentially beginning before the new Premier League season kicks off at Brighton on August 23.
Both players currently have two seasons remaining on their existing deals. However, according to reports, UEFA's financial constraints could make it easier for Villa to renegotiate with their current players than attempt to replace them in the transfer market. With Konsa aged 28 and Torres nine months older, the club would find it difficult to recoup significant value in terms of a transfer fee should they seek alternatives.
Upgrading the defensive pairing appears to be hardly a pressing matter for the Midlands club. The two centre backs have played together 95 times since Torres arrived from Villarreal in 2023, featuring in all but the final two minutes of the quarter-final, semi-final and final ties last season. Torres has made 109 appearances since Unai Emery brought him to the Premier League, while Konsa is one of the players Emery has used most consistently throughout his Villa career.
When asked about his current deal, which runs until 2028, Torres said: "We re achieving good things and that's the plan To keep playing in the Premier League to keep playing in Europe."
Konsa, who joined Villa in 2019, last signed a contract extension in 2023, securing his services for several more years. The central defender is currently at the World Cup with England and remains a key player under Thomas Tuchel's management. Torres was not included in the Spain squad for the tournament.
Recent reports have linked Konsa with a potential move to Arsenal, adding another dimension to the contract discussions at Villa Park.