Ezri Konsa could reportedly move to the Premier League with Aston Villa after just one Championship season with Brentford.
There is a real mutual admiration between Dean Smith and Ezri Konsa.
With the Daily Mail claiming that Aston Villa are hoping to reunite Smith with a player he signed for Brentford this time last year, a reunion could be on the cards.
It is no secret that Villa want another centre-back as they prepare for life in the Premier League and, with a £12 million release-clause in his contract, Konsa wouldn’t cost the earth (Sky Sports).
With this in mind, it is impossible not to look back on what Smith said when he welcomed the one-time Charlton Athletic starlet to Griffin Park 12 months ago.
“It is a really exciting signing for us because of his age, potential and attitude. He has played a lot of games at League One level and his potential is unlimited,” he told the Bees’ official website in 2018.
And it seems that Konsa holds Smith in high regard, too.
Back in October, then-Aston Villa loanee Tammy Abraham was first on the phone to his England U21 team-mate when Smith was appointed as Steve Bruce’s replacement at Villa Park. And Konsa only had good things to say about a coach he worked with for just a matter of weeks.
“I was speaking to Ezri (Konsa) and he said Dean is a great manager, likes to play football, and that’s exactly what Aston Villa need,” Abraham told the Independent.
It remains to be seen how Konsa feels about leaving Brentford after just one season. But the possibility of playing Premier League football for the first time, and reuniting with a coach he clearly rates very highly, would definitely appeal.
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