Arsenal are closing in on the capture of RSC Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who has agreed personal terms with the Gunners.
According to a report from local Belgian news outlet Walfoot, Arsenal are on the verge of sealing the deal for Albert Sambi Lokonga. The RSC Anderlecht midfielder has reportedly agreed personal terms with the club and is merely waiting to travel to north London to complete the switch.
Sambi Lokonga would become Arsenal’s first summer signing, most likely as a direct replacement for Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international has been linked with a move to AS Roma, although Arsenal have faced criticism from club legend Ian Wright for their decision to cash in on the in-form midfielder.
The Gunners have already lost Dani Ceballos, with the Spaniard returning to Real Madrid following his extended loan spell. It has created a massive void in the Arsenal midfield, despite the return of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.
In fact, neither Torreira nor Guendouzi appears to have any future at the Emirates, with Guendouzi being linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund last month and now joining Marseille. Torreira, on the other hand, is being courted by Lazio as Maurizio Sarri hopes to sign the former Sampdoria midfield ace.
Torreira and Guendouzi’s potential departures, combined with Ceballos’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu, accentuates the need for midfield reinforcements for Arsenal. And in Lokonga, Mikel Arteta might find himself an ideal cost-effective option as he attempts to add more options in the holding midfield position.
A product of the Anderlecht youth academy, Lokonga has enjoyed a swift rise to prominence in recent years under Vincent Kompany. He has already notched up 78 competitive appearances for the Belgian giants, becoming a vital cog in the club’s second line of press.
Although yet to win a single cap for the Belgian national team, Lokonga is tipped to succeed due to his work ethic and assuring presence in midfield. The 21-year-old is not expected to cost Arsenal a fortune either, with reports predicting a figure of around €17.5 million excluding add-ons.
The potential arrival of Lokonga should allow Arsenal to focus on a pressing concern that is the attacking midfield role. The return of Martin Odegaard to Real Madrid has left Arteta devoid of a proper number ten.
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