Liverpool should look to make a move for Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa this summer, according to former Reds player Jason McAteer.
Andoni Iraola could arguably do with one more centre-back signing, following the departure of Ibrahima Konate, with Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni still young options.
Speaking to The Liverpool Echo [via TEAMtalk], McAteer talked up the idea of Konsa heading to Liverpool ahead of next season, following a solid 2026 World Cup showing for England:
“I see a more ready-made centre half coming in who’s got international experience, who knows the Premier League, and that for me would be someone like a Konsa. I don’t think he’s done himself any harm with his performances at the World Cup. I think he showed his versatility and maturity.
“Listen, his performances under Emery for Aston Villa have been exciting. I think he’s been solid. I think he’s a solid 7.5 out of 10 every game. He’s good in the air, he’s quick, he reads the game, and obviously Liverpool have missed out on quite a few very good central defenders, with Marc Guehi being one.
“I don’t think they should make that mistake again with Konsa. Villa are very active in the market at the minute. They’ve lost [Morgan] Rogers and [Youri] Tielemans. And when I say active, I mean negatively.
“Unai Emery will be fighting to keep his sort of marquee players and Konsa is that marquee player, but money talks. If Liverpool are going to go and throw £80m at Konsa and bring him in then Villa, I’m sure for FFP, will take the opportunity for that kind of money.”
Is Ezri Konsa a strong centre-back option for Liverpool?
Konsa could be a shrewd signing for Liverpool in many ways, but the biggest drawback is the potential £80m price tag that McAteer mentions, which feels steep.
English players can often be overvalued, and considering the Villa man turns 29 later this year, he wouldn’t have much sell-on value and his peak is unlikely to last more than two or three years from now.
That said, if Liverpool were able to entice Konsa to Anfield for a cheaper amount, he could be a strong addition, being able to do a good job at both centre-back and right-back, giving Iraola more squad depth.
But for now, it is a transfer that isn’t worth pursuing for the Reds, with a young and cheaper option needing to be looked at by the recruitment team.
