Brentford FC robbed Charlton Athletic out of big cash windfall | OneFootball

Ezri Konsa shone for Brentford, earning him a Premier League move to Aston Villa.

Brentford secured a fantastic deal in 2018, with Ezri Konsa joining the club from Charlton Athletic.

Making the move for just £2.5 million, Konsa would fit in seamlessly at Griffin Park as Brentford finished 11th in the Championship under Thomas Frank.

Though it would be the man who brought him to West London, Dean Smith, who was able to prize him away from the club just a year later, with Aston Villa parting with £12 million as they bolstered their backline following promotion to the Premier League.

After coming through the academy system at Charlton and making 71 appearances for the club, Brentford would end up stealing the Addicks' riches as Konsa went on to launch his top-flight career.

Brentford stole Charlton's millions after original £2.5m deal

Over the course of the 2018/19 season, Charlton would not necessarily miss Konsa for his performances.

The Addicks were promoted to the Championship under Lee Bowyer in May 2019, after a campaign in which only second-placed Barnsley conceded fewer goals than Charlton's 40.

Though at the same time, Konsa was shining in the Championship for Brentford - a side known for their expansive style of play at the time,

Champions Norwich City were the only side to register a higher average possession stat than Brentford's 58.5%, while the Bees racked up 390.7 passes per 90 with a success rate of 80%, which was only bettered by the 84% success rate of Swansea.

With this in mind, Konsa immediately showcased his prowess on the ball, completing 44.7 passes per 90 and achieving an 87.7% success rate.

The centre-back would start 42 of Brentford's 46 Championship matches on the way to an 11th-place finish, while ex-Bees manager Dean Smith had instilled a similar style of play at Aston Villa.

Achieving promotion to the Premier League via a 2-1 win against Derby County at Wembley, Konsa would reunite with Smith following a £12 million switch.

Charlton may have achieved promotion to the second tier in the same year, though they will wonder what might have been, had Brentford not been the club to benefit from Konsa's Championship performances.

Ezri Konsa would become one of the Premier League's best

It would be a difficult return to the Premier League for Aston Villa, who would finish the 2019/20 campaign just a point above the relegation zone.

Though Konsa himself would produce one of the biggest moments in Villa's survival quest - having a huge hand in a defining clash at the bottom end with Watford.

As Villa continued to solidify their place as a Premier League club over the years under both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard, it was in 2022 that Konsa's reputation soared under Unai Emery.

Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the 28-year-old has started all but 10 Premier League matches for Villa. When fit, the defender is a guaranteed name on the teamsheet, earning him consistent England caps in the process, picking up 17 in total following his international debut in 2024.

After achieving Conference League qualification in 2023, Aston Villa have transformed into a consistent European chaser in the Premier League, with ambitions under Emery now much more lofty than simply reaching Europe. Throughout this, Konsa's importance has continued to grow, and he is now the club's vice captain behind John McGinn, and has held the armband multiple times in the Europa League this season.

With his talent considered, there is every chance that Konsa would have gone on to become a top-flight player had he stayed at Charlton. Though his brief period at Brentford under Dean Smith would launch a fantastic career at an extremely high level of both club and international football.