Aston Villa struggling to hold on to their World Cup stars has become something of a theme of this transfer window and off we go again with Arsenal stepping up their interest in Ezri Konsa. The Daily Mail reports that the Premier League champions, having had a bid for the England defender rebuffed last month, are coming back with a bigger offer for Konsa, who Villa value at £60m minimum. Meanwhile, Villa are trying to nail down a £14m deal for Atlético Madrid’s Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri.
Liverpool are looking for defensive reinforcements and could swoop for the Real Madrid centre-back Raúl Asencio. The 23-year-0ld has been told he can leave the Bernabéu and various Mr 15%s have approached Liverpool about a move, reports Teamtalk. Also on Andoni Iraola’s radar is the teenage Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye. The 18-year-old, who scored a stunning goal for Senegal against France at the World Cup, is believed to be keen on a move to Anfield.
