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Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa replacement must be Portugal star with dazzling stats vs Croatia - view
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- Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa replacement must be Portugal star with dazzling stats vs Croatia - view
Aston Villa are bracing for offers for Ezri Konsa this summer with Arsenal reportedly weighing up a potential move.
The 28-year-old has just two years remaining on his contract at Villa Park and has enjoyed a fantastic season, but will be seen as replaceable.
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The Villans are said to value the defender in the region of £60million - a fee that will prove incredibly valuable in their struggles against the profit and sustainability rules.
Among potential replacement targets may well be Villarreal 's centre-back, Renato Veiga , who featured for Portugal as they beat Croatia 2-1 on Friday to reach the World Cup round of 16.
The 22-year-old joined the La Liga side from Chelsea for £26m last summer and has come on leaps and bounds, emerging as a key player for his nation alongside Ruben Dias .
Veiga is under contract until 2032 and will not be cheap, especially considering the 40 per cent sell-on clause included in the deal that saw him arrive, but he would be a serious signing for Villa.
Renato Veiga impresses in stats vs Croatia
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Veiga joined Chelsea from Basel in 2024, signing in a deal worth around £12m.
Despite some impressive early performances, the defender went on loan to Juventus in January and impressed enough to earn a permanent move away in the summer.
A year later, the centre-back may well be on his way back to the Premier League, with Chelsea set to profit with a massive 40 per cent sell-on clause.
Veiga was impressive again as Portugal beat Croatia, playing his part when he was tackled to the ground by Nikola Vlasic to win Ronaldo 's equalising penalty.
The 22-year-old did well to keep his head as the game became stretched late on, misplacing just three of his 68 passes on the night.
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The Lisbon-born talent also made five clearances, four recoveries and won four of the duels he contested.
Aston Villa 'could sell Ezri Konsa' to pave way for Marcus Rashford deal - expert Veiga would love Premier League return
Veiga appears perfectly suited for the Premier League, and he could become a top level centre-back if a team like Villa take a chance on him.
The 22-year-old has already admitted his love for the English top flight, and it is not hard to imagine him jumping at the chance to return.
"I'm just trying to enjoy every moment, I always loved the Premier League," he said in 2024. "It was the only league I truly watched every game from. I could watch the last placed team playing against the next to last team and it was always exciting for me.
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"I love the environment inside the stadiums and how much it means to the fans. For us players, knowing how much it means to them gives us an extra boost. It's just nice to play in those environments."
