John Terry has claimed that William Saliba will remain on the sidelines following Arsenal’s signing of Ezri Konsa. The Frenchman played a key role last summer as the Gunners claimed the Premier League title.
But he missed the opening game of the current campaign having undergone surgery for a back issue. Cristhian Mosquera played in his place, while Piero Hincapie was in reserve.
Arsenal also added to their centre-back options last week, having confirmed a deal to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa. Having been in the Midlands at the same time as the England man, Terry has claimed that Saliba might face a tough time of things as he attempts to win his place back.
Terry's verdict on Konsa
Asked by the FC Bullard TikTok channel who he believes is the best value signing of the summer, the Chelsea icon replied: “I would go Ezri Konsa for Arsenal.
“That’s a massive signing. I think even when William Saliba is back fit, he doesn’t get back in the Arsenal team, I think Ezri Konsa is that good.
“I worked with him at Aston Villa and he’s so aggressive but also happy to play on the halfway line because if it goes in behind he’s quick enough to get there and recover. He’s a really, really good player.”
Saliba's Arsenal career
Saliba, 25, has been an Arsenal player since 2019, but has only been a first-team regular for the past four seasons after loan spells with Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille. In the meantime, Konsa has been a key player for Villa, with the Midlands side having won the Europa League and enjoyed three seasons in Europe under Unai Emery.
Asked what the defender would offer to his side, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “When I look at squads, some clubs still have incredible and much bigger squads than us. We just look to improve and do what’s right for us, and look at players we already have who can improve us. Ezri is certainly a player we really liked in the defensive line.”
Konsa's response
Meanwhile, Konsa has already spoken out on his role in the side and said he would be willing to play in any position that his new manager asks.
He said: “I like to build up from the back and I like to have a lot of the ball. It's Mikel's style and from what I've seen from games, it's the same way the defenders here play. So hopefully I can add a little bit more.
“It's good being versatile. I can do both jobs, right-back and centre-back, but for me ultimately, wherever the manager wants to put me is, I’ll always do a job and do my best.”
