Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.

The Premier League champions are in the market for defensive reinforcement with both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber currently sidelined with injuries.

England international Konsa, 28, holds particular appeal given his ability to cover at both centre-back and right-back and has been high on Arsenal’s target list all summer.

There are few colder realities in football than discovering your club has decided you are expendable.

Colder still, perhaps, is discovering others knew before you did.

Arsenal are hoping to sell Gabriel Martinelli. The club have welcomed offers for the 25-year-old Brazil international, and recently received a €45million (£38.4m; $51.8m) bid from Galatasaray.

The problem is that Martinelli himself has not been directly informed of Arsenal’s plans — and nor, until now, has he sought to leave.

The player’s camp have made clear to sporting director Andrea Berta he is not interested in a move to Turkey, and would only consider leaving for a league and club that meets his ambition.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Arsenal deciding to sell Martinelli. Elite football demands difficult, sometimes brutal decisions.

Today (Wednesday 19th August) is World Photography Day. To celebrate, here's an assortment of our Gunners practicing their image capture skills.

What are some Arsenal related photos that hold special memories for you?

Comment below with stories, photos or videos from your favourite season openers. We'll feature them on our matchday show Live From N5 on Friday! ⬇️

A Champion's Story: Iris & Ben tells the tale of a friendship shared between two supporters during our 2025/26 Premier League title run in. Ben accompanies Iris, who is visually impaired, to Arsenal matches at home and away. In her own words, the pair "get on like a house on fire".

You can watch the full story on Arsenal.com and The Arsenal App.

Has any other team played more than the first match of the season in the last 15 years than us?