According to The Sun, Arsenal are trying to sell Albert Sambi Lokonga to recently promoted Burnley this summer.
Lokonga arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2021 on a long-term contract. He was signed from Anderlecht for £17.2 million, with Mikel Arteta describing him as ‘a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development’ (via HITC).
However, Albert Sambi Lokonga struggled to break into Arsenal’s starting XI. He only made 39 appearances in all competitions until January 2023, with most coming as a substitute.
The 23-year-old midfielder was subsequently loaned to Crystal Palace in the second half of the 2022-23 season. However, he also disappointed there, making just nine appearances with no goal contributions.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley are reportedly interested in Lokonga’s services but are struggling to get a deal over the line. The north London outfit are willing to sell the Belgium international on a permanent deal but a loan deal has been tipped to be the more likely decision.
Lokonga has played under Kompany when the latter managed Anderlecht. A loan deal would benefit both sides as the 23-year-old needs a successful spell in order to revive his Gunners career.
Kai Havertz opens up after recently joining Arsenal
Former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz recently opened up after securing a move to Arsenal earlier this week. He admitted he was eager to meet the entire squad and cited the Gunners’ ‘family mentality’ as the reason they were so challenging to play against.
The 24-year-old spoke exclusively with Arsenal’s official website. He stated:
“It’s super exciting for me personally. I’m so glad to join this amazing club. This club has such a big history, and I hope we we can achieve lots of things, and I’m just looking forward to meeting all the players, the staff, and yeah, it’s going to be exciting.”
On the Gunners’ ‘family mentality’, he added:
“I think the family mentality that the team has on the pitch is one of the reasons why it so hard to play against Arsenal. I guess they have it off the pitch as well. So the team mentality in the squad is very, very high and you can feel that. Obviously there’s so many talented players and there’s big room to achieve big things as well.”
Kai Havertz plied his trade for Chelsea prior to his move to the Emirates this summer for £60 million. Despite struggling with the Blues this season, he scored 32 goals and provided 15 assists in 139 appearances during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The German international also won three trophies, including the 2021 UEFA Champions League. He will be hoping to replicate his old form for Mikel Arteta and Co. next season.