[ad_1]
According to The Sun, Arsenal are trying to sell Albert Sambi Lokonga to promote Burnley as recently as this summer.
Lokonga arrived in the Emirates in the summer of 2021 on a long-term contract. Signed from Anderlecht for £17.2m, Mikel Arteta described him as “a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances as he develops” (via HITC).
However, Albert Sambi Lokonga struggled to break into the Arsenal starting line-up. He made only 39 appearances in all competitions until January 2023, most of which came as a substitute.
The 23-year-old midfielder was loaned out to Crystal Palace for the second half of the 2022-23 season. However, he disappointed there as well, appearing in just nine matches without any goals.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley are said to be interested in Lokonga’s services but he is struggling to secure a deal over the line. The North London side are ready to sell the Belgium international on a permanent deal, but a loan decision is likely to be the most likely.
Lokonga played under Kompany when the latter was managing Anderlecht. A loan deal would benefit both sides as the 23-year-old needs a break in order to revive his Gunners career.
Kai Havertz opens up after recently joining Arsenal
Former Chelsea striker Kai Havertz has recently opened up for action after securing a move to Arsenal earlier this week. He admitted he was keen to meet the whole squad and cited Arsenal’s “family mentality” as a very difficult reason to play against.
The 24-year-old spoke exclusively on Arsenal’s official website. He said:
“It’s very exciting for me personally. I’m very happy to be joining such a great club. This club has a lot of history, I hope we can achieve a lot, I’m just looking forward to meeting all the players, the staff and yeah, it’s going to be exciting.”
On Arsenal’s “family mentality”, he added:
“I think the family mentality that the team has on the field is one of the reasons it’s so difficult to play against Arsenal. I think they’re off the field as well. So the team mentality in the team is very, very high and you can feel that. There’s obviously a lot. Talented players and there’s plenty of room to achieve big things too.”
Kai Havertz paid off his trade with Chelsea ahead of his £60m move to the Emirates this summer. Despite his struggles 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 has also won three trophies, including the 2021 UEFA Champions League. He hopes to repeat his old form with Mikel Arteta and Co. next season.
[ad_2]
