Albert Sambi Lokonga has now aimed a subtle dig at Arsenal whilst revealing why the midfielder has chosen to join Sevilla on loan with an option for a permanent transfer.
The 24-year-old sealed a season-long switch to Los Nervionenses on Monday to continue his career away from Emirates Stadium. It has been 17 months since Lokonga last featured for Arsenal following spells with Crystal Palace and Luton Town over the last two campaigns.
Lokonga spent the 2023/24 season with Luton after the Hatters achieved promotion into the Premier League. But two major injury lay-offs plagued the Belgian’s time at Kenilworth Road, holding the one-cap international to just 17 outings as Luton returned to the Championship.
Albert Sambi Lokonga fires ‘winning side’ dig at Arsenal after joining Sevilla on loan
Joining Sevilla on loan from Arsenal also now gives Lokonga the chance to fulfil a career goal by playing in La Liga. But it does not give the Verviers native the chance to feature in Europe again after the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan outfit finished last term just 14th in Spain’s top-flight.
The midfielder will hope to help Quique Sanchez Flores guide the Andalusian team back into Europe. Sevilla have signed Lokonga on loan from Arsenal and gained a £10m option to buy. The Gunners would also obtain a 25% sell-on clause should the Belgian get a full-time move.
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What Sevilla have achieved in Europe before was a leading factor behind Lokonga opting for them when considering leaving Arsenal on loan, though. Los Nervionenses have dominated in the Europa League (including as the UEFA Cup) with Sevilla winning a record seven titles.
No other team has won the Europa League more than three times to date. But in describing Sevilla’s success in UEFA’s secondary club competition, Lokonga fired a subtle dig to Arsenal by suggesting that the loan-to-buy transfer even fulfils his desire to play for a ‘winning side’.
“I am very happy to be here,” Lokonga told the Sevilla club website. “I’ve always wanted to play in Spain and now I have the chance. So, now that is why I am here in Sevilla.
“I’ve always had Sevilla in my mind because of the winning mentality and looking at the Europa League [and] what Sevilla have done is incredible. I have always wanted to be part of a winning side and so that is why I chose to come to Sevilla.”
Arsenal have struggled in cup competitions since signing Albert Sambi Lokonga
Sevilla sealed their record seventh Europa League title in 2022/23 after beating AS Roma 4-1 on penalties in the final. They also won the competition in 2019/20, one year before Arsenal signed Lokonga from RSC Anderlecht for £15m, rising to £17m, on a contract to June 2026.
During his only full season in N5, Lokonga then saw Arsenal collapse near the finish and miss out on qualifying for the Champions League. While Mikel Arteta has since led the Gunners in back-to-back Premier League title bids, their domestic cup record has not been as strong.
Arsenal have crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round twice and fourth round once since Lokonga joined in July 2021. The Emirates Stadium outfit may have reached the semi-final of the EFL Cup in 2021/22 but bowed out in the third and fourth rounds in the past two terms.
Yet whilst Lokonga had his injury-hit season at Luton last term, Arteta guided Arsenal to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010. The club did not play in Europe during Lokonga’s first season in N5 and also lost in the 22/23 Europa League last 16.
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