Why half of England’s World Cup defenders are on the move

Konsa, 28, played in all eight World Cup matches this summer, with Arsenal failing with a bid of £30m and Villa holding out for near double that.

But even a transfer of under £50m would prove good value for a player that has played 28 times for his country and helped Villa win the Europa League in May.

Arsenal won the Premier League in 2025-26 and reached the final of the Champions League, but with France centre-half William Saliba set to miss an “extended period” because of a back injury, they are in need for an instant high-level replacement, which Konsa would be.

Chalobah, 27, only featured in the third-fourth play-off, which England won 6-4 against France in a crazy game in Miami as he earned his second international cap.

However, his transfer to Italian side Como, who are managed by ex-Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, still comes in at the cheaper end of the market.

Chelsea will receive an initial £25.7m, with a further £5.1m possible in add-ons, while France defender Maxence Lacroix, signed from Crystal Palace, cost the Blues much more at £52m.

Chalobah had been at Chelsea since the age of eight, winning the FA Cup, Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup twice – playing all 90 minutes of the final as the Blues beat Paris St-Germain 3-0 in 2025.

But with the arrival of Lacroix and with numerous other central defensive options, including Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and Jorrel Hato, Chalobah has opted for more guaranteed first-team football.

Guehi, 26, another who played in all of England’s World Cup games, only cost Manchester City £20m in January as his Crystal Palace contract was expiring in six months.

It was a similar story for right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, surprisingly left out of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad after a season at Real Madrid, who only paid Liverpool £8.5m in May 2025 with his Anfield deal coming to an end.

The most expensive move among the names mentioned was Quansah’s £35m move from Liverpool to Bayer Leverkusen last summer, although the fact he was only 22 at the time was one of the reasons for the German side paying more.