Arsenal are set to bid farewell to several players this summer as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad.
Though the focus of the upcoming summer transfer window will be on arrivals, there are exits in the pipeline.
Following a successful loan spell at Lazio, Nuno Tavares is set to sign for the Italian giants for a fee of £6m.
The Portuguese full-back isn’t the only 2021 signing made by Arteta that is in line to leave the Emirates, as Albert Sambi Lokonga is nearing the end of his Arsenal career.
Albert Sambi Lokonga opens up about his Arsenal career
Lokonga spent the season on loan at Sevilla following a promising, but injury-tainted, loan spell in the Premier League with Luton Town.
The Belgian, who was signed by Arteta for £17m, hasn’t played a competitive minute for the Gunners since January 2023, making it abundantly clear that he has no further role to play in N5.
A lot has changed at Arsenal since Lokonga signed, presenting the midfielder with even more challenges than when he first arrived.
Speaking about his Arsenal career to The Standard, the 25-year-old admitted that while he found the pressures of playing for the North Londoners difficult, he’d do it all again just to work with Arteta.
“It is not everywhere you are going to go that you are going to succeed,” Lokonga said.
“When you arrive at a club like Arsenal, you don’t have time to adapt. You need to be there directly and to perform.
“With Mikel [Arteta], I learned so much and, for me, he is one of the best coaches I have had in my career. It is how he is in the details, how he is predicting things that can happen on the pitch. He is a leader.
“Spending one year with him, it is like you maybe spend five years with someone else. You learn so much. So if I had to do it again, I would do it again.”
Despite only making 39 appearances for Arsenal, Lokonga’s time at the Emirates has impacted his career perhaps more than expected, all thanks to Arteta.
What Arsenal have done in preparation for Lokonga’s exit
Though Lokonga is expected to leave Arsenal, the club have done something interesting regarding his future ahead of the summer transfer window.
While interviewing the Belgian, The Standard’s Simon Collings revealed that the Gunners have made the decision to extend the midfielder’s contract by an additional year.
The reason for doing so is thought to be to preserve Lokonga’s value, as his contract would’ve ordinarily expired this summer, leaving him open to be snatched up as a free agent.
Now with an additional year on his deal, Arsenal can demand a fee for the £17m signing, who is generating transfer attention.
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