Albert Sambi Lokonga admits he’s eyeing Arsenal transfer this summer
Posted by  badge Boss on Jul 04, 2023 - 09:35PM
Albert Sambi Lokonga spent the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace (Getty)

admits he is looking to leave Arsenal this summer.

The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact since his £17.2 million move from Anderlecht in 2021.

Having been unable to secure a regular role in Mikel Arteta’s side at the start of last season, Lokonga was allowed to join on loan in the January transfer window.

And now the midfielder has indicated that he is ready to leave Arsenal once again in order to secure regular playing time.

When asked about his plans for the upcoming season on the channel , Lokonga said: ‘I don’t know.

‘I will try to go somewhere where I can play so that’s the most important thing for me – to have some games and play game after game.’

Albert Sambi Lokonga is already back in pre-season training with Arsenal (Getty)

with Vincent Kompany keen on being reunited with the midfielder having managed him at Anderlecht.

Speaking after Arsenal had signed Lokonga, Kompany revealed that he told Mikel Arteta that the club had signed ‘the new Yaya Toure’.

‘I was watching football from different countries and I saw Sambi play his first two games for Anderlecht, then he got a big knee injury,’ Kompany told .

‘But the first thing I did when I saw Sambi was I went to Mikel, and also Pep, but Mikel first and I said, “You’ve got to watch this guy, he’s the new Yaya Toure”.

‘And anyway, nothing comes from it, he’s got a cruciate ligament [injury] and then I end up falling into the management job at Anderlecht so I’m working with him now. I had the same conversation about him with Mikel, I still believe the same thing now [that he could be the new Toure].

Vincent Kompany labelled Albert Sambi Lokonga as ‘the new Yaya Toure’ after his move to Arsenal in 2021 (Getty)

‘I’m not even sure I’m going to do him a favour now if I say this kind of stuff.

‘You know what I like with Sambi and it’s rare in football – what Yaya did have – is he wants the ball no matter what. Team’s not doing well, give the ball to Sambi. Team’s doing well, give the ball to Sambi. He will never hide away from his responsibility.

‘He has things to improve. If he remembers the conversations we’ve had, he will know exactly what he still has to work on. But at the same time, the only thing Yaya had, Yaya was also a finisher and that’s a very rare thing to have.

‘You as a centre-back, your job stops at a certain point on the ball, you need to be able to give it to people who see the next pass, the next move, take responsibility, take people on and put that tempo when there’s no tempo in the game anymore. For me, that’s what Sambi has that makes him special.’

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