Arsenal identify alternative defender if Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa bids fail

Arsenal have identified Como’s Jacobo Ramon should they fail to sign Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah, talkSPORT understands.

The Gunners are looking to bring in a new versatile defender this summer, with England pair Konsa and Quansah their main targets.

The Premier League champions first set their sights on Aston Villa‘s Konsa, but have so far failed in their efforts to bring him to north London.

Arsenal have already made a verbal offer to Villa for Konsa in the region of £35million, which fell well below his valuation of up to £65m

They have since turned their attention to Bayer Leverkusen’s Quansah, holding discussions with the 23-year-old.

The England international only moved to the Bundesliga side from Liverpool last summer, and like Villa, Leverkusen are reluctant to sell one of their prized assets.

Quansah is also unlikely to come cheap – Leverkusen would want to make a profit on the £35m they paid for him, while the defender had a £70m buyback clause which the Reds opted not to trigger.

Plan C

Should Arsenal fail to make a breakthrough in their pursuit of either Konsa or Quansah, they could then look at Como’s Ramon.

The 21-year-old joined Cesc Fabregas’ side from Real Madrid last summer and made 32 league appearances in the 2025/26 campaign as his team qualified for the Champions League.

Any move for Ramon would benefit his old team, with Real retaining a 50 per cent sell-on clause and a number of buy-back clauses.

Konsa stumbling block explained

Arsenal’s pursuit of Ramon hinges on their success in landing either of their top targets, with talkSPORT’s Chief Football Correspondent Alex Crook shedding light on this on the latest episode of The Window.

Crook revealed that, despite the Gunners falling short of Konsa’s valuation, the Villa defender is keen on a move to the Emirates.

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He told talkSPORT: “The Gunners, we’re told, are stepping up their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. 

“At the moment, they’re quite a way short of Villa’s valuation, which we understand to be around £60million. 

“But key to this deal, Konsa, we’re told, would like to make the move to north London. He’d like to link up with the Premier League champions. 

“So, we’ll see if Arsenal can get anywhere near Aston Villa’s asking price, but this is one that I think definitely could develop over the next few days.

“Mikel Arteta likes Konsa’s versatility. He can be a straight swap for [William] Saliba alongside Gabriel at the heart of the champions’ defense. He can also play at right back and that’s been a problematic area as well – Ben White obviously had his injury issues last season. 

“Jurrien Timber is out of this weekend’s Community Shield – live on talkSPORT. So, if they can get Konsa because he can play in a multitude of positions, I think it could be a really sensible deal for Arsenal.”

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Who else could Arsenal sign?

As well as being keen to strengthen their backline, Arsenal are looking to bolster their left-wing before the end of the transfer window.

Greek winger Christos Tzolis has joined to replace Leandro Trossard, who signed for Besiktas.

Gabriel Martinelli could follow the Belgian to Turkey amidst reports that Galatasaray are interested in the Brazilian wideman, with potential for Victor Osimhen to move in the opposite direction.

But after missing out on a blockbuster move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, the Gunners are still looking for a big-name arrival.

And Crook revealed Juventus star Kenan Yildiz has emerged as a possible summer target for Arsenal, who will need to replace Martinelli should he join Galatasaray.

Explaining who else the Gunners could sign, he explained: “Kenan Yildiz at Juventus has emerged as a possible target.”

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As for their other options, Crook continued: “There is still interest as well in Julian Alvarez.

“And with Atletico Madrid seemingly not willing to sell him to Barcelona, this is one where [Sporting director Andrea] Berta might just see an opportunity to steal a march on the Spanish giants. 

“He’s got a good relationship with Alvarez already, having negotiated his move from Manchester City to the Spanish capital. And that would be, for me, a game-changing signing for Arsenal.

“Someone who had a brilliant season last year. Didn’t really hit the heights of the World Cup. Wasn’t even a first team starter for Argentina as they made it to the final, but I think he could be a really good addition for the Gunners.

“They’ve also been offered, we understand, Victor Osimhen during those conversations involving Gabriel Martinelli. 

“He is on huge wages over in Turkey, but we do know Arsenal were willing to break the bank to pay Vinicius Jr in excess of £400,000. So maybe this one is not so fanciful as it sounds.