Arsenal are set to confirm the departure of Albert Sambi Lokonga as the midfielder nears a move to La Liga giants Sevilla.
The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Luton Town, where he was praised for his performances by former Arsenal academy star James Shea despite their relegation from the Premier League.
Lokonga joined Arsenal for around £15m in 2021, but despite showing glimpses of quality he never nailed down a regular spot under Mikel Arteta, and will now head to Spain on a loan deal which could become mandatory.
The Belgium International has had loans at Crystal Palace and Luton since he arrived in North London, but with Arsenal aiming to strengthen their midfield options, the club told Lokonga that an exit would be best for all parties. However, Arsenal fans are not impressed with the deal.
Albert Sambi Lokonga nearing loan move to Sevilla from Arsenal
Lokonga is now set for a medical at Sevilla, with a loan deal agreed between the Spanish side and Arsenal.
“Sambi Lokonga just arrived in Sevilla to undergo his medical tests and sign his contract with the Andalusian club. DONE DEAL,” Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri posted on X.
David Ornstein has confirmed the details of the upcoming move: Lokonga will join on an initial loan, which has an option to buy for €12m (£10m), and if this is activated, there is also a sell-on clause.
“Arsenal have 25% sell-on clause in Sevilla deal for Albert Sambi Lokonga. Applies if loan from Arsenal turns permanent (€12m option) & midfielder sold in future. Fiorentina prepared higher bid but 24yo only wanted Sevilla,” Ornstein posted on X.
This deal means that Arsenal stand to make a loss on a midfielder they invested in three years ago, and fans are again frustrated at Edu Gaspar given the club’s poor sales record in recent years. However, Arsenal’s hands were tied when trying to shift Lokonga.
Arsenal could not earn more from Albert Sambi Lokonga exit
Lokonga has two years left on his contract, and is completely out of favour under Arteta. Finding a suitor for him, despite his talent, was going to be tricky.
Luton’s relegation meant that he was out of reach for Rob Edwards’ side, whilst his previous loan at Crystal Palace did not convince them that they should return for Lokonga any time soon.
Although he did perform well at Luton, he also missed significant chunks of the season with injury. This represents a risk for any interested party, who would likely have been put off by his lack of regular game time since his move to England.
Despite interest from Fiorentina, Lokonga made up his mind that he only wanted to join Sevilla. This put Arsenal in a weaker negotiating position, and with Sevilla missing out on European football, they are in a tough financial situation.
Edu was therefore left with an injury-prone, out-of-favour asset who only wanted to join one club. With this in mind, he has managed to negotiate a buy option which would return a huge amount of the initial investment in him, and if Lokonga develops well, the sell-on clause could be very useful in the future.
READ MORE: Arsenal’s most expensive transfer sales of all-time
Arsenal have made frustratingly low sales under Edu before, but the reality this time is that there was little more he could do to gain a higher fee for Lokonga given the situation.
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