Aston Villa have found Ezri Konsa’s successor as Unai Emery eyes sensational swoop
Ezri Konsa is no doubt one of Aston Villa’s best players.
The centre-back has been key to the Birmingham outfit’s rise up the Premier League table in recent years.
As a result, Konsa is now an established England international and has continued to perform well this season despite Villa’s poor form.
However, the centre-back won’t be in Villa’s starting XI forever, with the defender set to turn 28 years old this month.
As a result, Emery may already be planning for his eventual departure, as he eyes potential signings.
Dylan Lawlor shows signs of being Ezri Konsa’s replacement
On Sunday, reports emerged that Villa had joined the race to sign Dylan Lawlor.
The Cardiff City centre-back has been heavily linked with numerous sides in the Premier League and Europe after having an impressive breakout campaign in League One.
After already being capped by the Wales national team despite being just 19 years old, the defender clearly has plenty of potential.
- Lawlor made his Cardiff City debut last season
- He has since become a regular in the first-team after their relegation to League One
- Lawlor is now being linked with a move to Aston Villa
Now, there are signs that much of his game is similar to that of Konsa’s.
According to Fotmob on 12 October, the two defenders’ statistics are alike, with Lawlor definitely showing signs that he could take over from Konsa in a few years.
| Stats per 90 minutes in the league this season | Ezri Konsa | Dylan Lawlor |
| Goals | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Successful passes | 66.10 | 63.09 |
| Passing accuracy | 96.2% | 91.4% |
| Long ball accuracy | 53.3% | 48.6% |
| Successful dribbles | 0.35 | 0.27 |
| Dribble success rate | 40% | 100% |
| Blocked shots | 0.87 | 1.19 |
| Recoveries | 3.31 | 5.43 |
This may well be Emery’s plan, with Villa’s backline clearly ageing, with players such as Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof, 31 and 32 years old.
Therefore, making a signing such as Lawlor would be sensible, and show a plan is in place to replace Emery’s best players eventually.
- Read more: Data shows how Aston Villa fans are getting less bang for their buck than most in Premier League
What has been said about Lawlor amid Aston Villa interest?
After Lawlor’s Wales debut in September, the centre-back was rightly lauded by his manager and pundits alike for his performance.
After winning the man of the match award for his display in the 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan, many were quick to praise the 19-year-old.
Former centre-back Ashley Williams said on BBC Match of the Day Wales via BBC Sport on 12 October: “I think we’ll see a lot more of him in the next few games because he’s definitely a Craig Bellamy type of player.”
Whereas former Crystal Palace star Joe Ledley stated: “I thought he was magnificent. The way he conducted himself, it’s like he’s been in the team for many years.”
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