An Arsenal campaign under Mikel Arteta typically starts with a steely focus on the backline. It underpins everything else in the manager’s obsession with control – on and off the pitch.It’s why the £55million signing of Ezri Konsa is a significant one for Arteta, despite the loud calls for a new attacker before the window shuts on Tuesday.With William Saliba out for an extended period due to a back injury, and Jurrien Timber sidelined with a long-term groin problem, the 28-year-old is an acquisition which ticks many boxes.He is a duel monster, a trait Arteta adores in a defender who was once branded a ‘Rolls-Royce’ by Villa’s most famous fan, Prince William. Konsa won more duels on the ground than any other Premier League player last season, his 73.1 per cent success rate beating Virgil van Dijk (70 per cent) in second place. His new team-mate Gabriel registered a success rate of 69.9 per cent.He’s a good passer, too, boasting the best passing accuracy (95.5 per cent) among defenders in the league last season. In comparison, Saliba, who ranked the highest for Arsenal, was in eighth place on 92.9 per cent. As a player accustomed to the league, like fellow new arrival Bruno Guimaraes, Konsa has the potential to step seamlessly into Arteta’s team.Konsa’s versatility, another attribute Arteta craves, is a bonus, too. His preference is centre back, though he occasionally slotted in at right back under Unai Emery at Aston Villa and was used in the same position by Thomas Tuchel during the World Cup. He could be needed there while Timber regains full fitness, and with Ben White having struggled with his own injury problems in recent seasons. Ezri Konsa (right) is a duel monster, a trait Mikel Arteta adores in a defender who was once branded a ‘Rolls-Royce’ by Villa’s most famous fan, Prince William Konsa won more duels on the ground than any other Premier League player last season, his 73.1 per cent success rate beating Virgil van Dijk (70 per cent) into second placeArteta felt the instability of having insufficient back-up centre backs in recent seasons, which saw injuries to key men.In 2024-25, Jakub Kiwior had to fill in for the injured Gabriel from April. The Pole did a decent job, not least in starting both legs of the Champions League quarter-final victory over Real Madrid, yet the drop-off from the usual starters was felt and Arsenal were noticeably weaker defending set-pieces.There may also be a hangover from the 2022-23 run-in, when Rob Holding stood in for Saliba but could not come close to the Frenchman’s levels as Arsenal’s title push collapsed.The arrival of Konsa bolsters what already is a formidable backline. Saliba, Gabriel, Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori, Timber, Piero Hincapie and White all have considerable experience in that position.During the World Cup, Arsenal’s fellow England squad members Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka encouraged Konsa to join. It’s Saka who Konsa is particularly close to, Arsenal’s vice-captain having FaceTimed him during Aston Villa’s Europa League parade.During the 2024 Euros, the pair had private one-v-one drills to improve each other, with Saka later claiming Konsa had ‘made him better’.Arteta clarified on Thursday that Konsa is available for Monday’s match against Villa, though the defender has not played any competitive football since England’s third-place play-off victory over France in Miami on July 18, and it remains to be seen how quickly he can adapt to the demands of Arteta’s intricacies, with the right-sided centre back, which has usually been Saliba, crucial to Arsenal’s build-up play.Born in Silvertown, east London, Konsa is a graduate of Senrab FC – the Sunday league club whose alumni include Ledley King, John Terry and Sol Campbell. Konsa grew up supporting Arsenal’s neighbours Tottenham. During the World Cup, Arsenal’s fellow England squad members Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice (right) and Bukayo Saka encouraged Konsa to join Konsa struggled initially at Aston Villa before a formative period under Dean Smith It’s something of a surprise that Konsa has moved to a team where he is unlikely to regularly start, yet the allure of trophies is strong, and he backs himself to break throughHe had a tricky start at Villa after signing from Brentford in the summer of 2019, taking time to get used to the demands of the Premier League after stepping up from the Championship. A formative period came in Dean Smith’s tenure as manager, where Konsa worked with assistant coach John Terry one-on-one a lot and felt the benefits.Emery, upon arriving at Villa in October 2022, initially wasn’t so sure on the defender. Yet Konsa proved himself, becoming a regular starter and key player for Emery, with the vice-captaincy taken off Emi Martinez and given to the centre back. The player’s performances in the Champions League stood out, his display in the 2024-25 quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain a highlight.It’s something of a surprise that Konsa has moved to a team where he is unlikely to regularly start, yet the allure of trophies is strong, and he backs himself to break through.The arrival of Konsa isn’t the blockbuster signing Arsenal fans craved. Yet it serves a crucial aim in north London: preserving a formidable backline, which is Arsenal’s greatest strength.