Arsenal are ready to sell Albert Sambi Lokonga in the summer, irrespective of how his loan spell pans out at Luton Town.
According to Football Insider, Arsenal will cash in on Albert Sambi Lokonga in the summer as Mikel Arteta does not see a future for the Belgian at the Emirates. The midfielder might have maintained his value after recent performances for Luton Town, which will not affect the thinking of the Gunners’ hierarchy about his sale.
Albert Sambi Lokonga at Arsenal: The Story So Far
Albert Sambi Lokonga joined Arsenal two-and-a-half years ago with plenty of promise and vouching from current Burnley boss Vincent Kompany. Back then, the duo were at Anderlecht, and the midfielder was the club captain. He had an excellent start to his time in the Emirates.
An injury to Granit Xhaka and then to Thomas Partey in that season allowed the Belgian to flourish in Mikel Arteta’s system. However, he felt disgruntled at the lack of game time, which became evident in the ‘All Or Nothing’ documentary based on Arsenal.
Since then, Arteta has not preferred Lokonga as an automatic starter but only as a bench option or when someone suffered an injury. He even left on a loan deal to Crystal Palace last season, and after initially impressing, fell down the pecking order once Roy Hodgson replaced Patrick Vieira.
This season, he has represented Luton Town on loan to build his sharpness and get regular game time under his belt. After suffering a severe hamstring problem at the start of the season, the Hatters even considered terminating his loan agreement.
However, in recent weeks, he has become one of their critical stars and has featured in solid performances for the Hatters, thus garnering admiration from critics. Now, irrespective of how his Luton loan proceeds, Arsenal have already decided on his future.
What Next for Lokonga?
Recently, Lokonga commented that he sees a future at Arsenal. But the North Londoners are now planning on cashing in on the 24-year-old midfielder in the summer. The Gunners have already planned on new signings, with Martin Zubimendi as one of their priority targets.
Hence, while Lokonga might help Arsenal maintain his market value with good performances, he indeed does not have a future at the club anymore. The Gunners hope to profit from his sale and reinvest the money in a new midfielder, such as Zubimendi.
