Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa is having a fine season in the Premier League, and he is now beginning to attract admirers.
The former Brentford man signed for Villa in the summer of 2019 for around £12 million and has made 45 Premier League appearances to date. He has been a stalwart in the Villa defence since replacing Bjorn Engels as Villa's first-choice centre back in November 2019. However, Villa have failed to tie him down to a new contract so far, sparking rumours that he could be on the move.
Easy come, easy go
Centre backs, especially British centre backs, are hot property at the moment.
Liverpool have famously had centre back troubles this season, forcing them to rush through deals for both Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak on deadline day. However, they will be looking for more permanent, first-team solutions to their troubles following Joe Gomez's latest long-term injury layoff. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Jurgen Klopp's side is tracking Konsa to fix that issue for them.
Furthermore, Tottenham Hotspur have struggled defensively in recent weeks. Their regular centre backs of Davinson Sanchez, Toby Alderweireld and Eric Dier have rotated heavily with each other this season, much to Jose Mourinho's annoyance. According to the same report, Spurs are also keeping tabs on Villa's man to provide the stability Jose craves.
With Manchester United being linked to Tyrone Mings last week, Villa will surely be rushing to get a new contract for Konsa sorted as quickly as possible. The report doesn't offer much clarity in this department for Villa fans outside of the club "hope to extend his contract".
Going international
Klopp and Mourinho aren't the only admirers of Konsa ahead of the summer, Gareth Southgate has also been keeping tabs on him.
Villa's new defensive fixture has shone in a rough season for English centre backs, with Harry Maguire, Conor Coady, Eric Dier and even Konsa's Villa partner Tyrone Mings struggling this season. However, this could play to Konsa's advantage as he looks to break into the England squad ahead of this summer's Euros.
According to the same report, Southgate has been keeping a close eye on him, and he is very much in the mix for the squad. Konsa already has experience in the England setup, winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and has made seven appearances for England's Under-21 squad. With England's traditional centre backs faltering this season, there is now room for Konsa, among others, to make the breakthrough to the first team.
However, according to Ornstein, Konsa is also eligible to represent current European champions Portugal. The report claims that Portugal are "following him closely", though how likely he is to choose them over England is unknown. Konsa is also eligible to represent both DR Congo and Angola through his family connections, though he has shown little interest in turning out for either nation in the past.
With both major clubs and national teams fighting over him, this summer could be a massive one for Konsa.