Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Anderlecht star Albert Sambi Lokonga this summer.
The Athletic revealed earlier this month that the Gunners have been monitoring the midfielder for quite some time now, and Mikel Arteta is convinced that he is ready to make a move to the Emirates.
Arsenal have already tabled a bid for Lokonga, but our first offer was rejected. However, there is growing optimism that a deal will be completed in the coming days.
So what can Arsenal fans expect from Lokonga? Belgian football expert Ward Geyssens of Anderlecht Inside gave Arsenal Insider the lowdown on the exciting young midfielder.
Albert Sambi Lokonga is a great talent
Geyssens exclusively tells Arsenal Insider: “Sambi Lokonga is a great talent. His body movement is one of the best I’ve ever seen in the Belgian League. He has scored a few goals from long distance this season but he has to improve his freekicks.
“Overall, he had a good season but he has to improve his consistency. He doesn’t always give everything or at least it feels like he doesn’t give everything every game.
“People see him as a defensive midfielder, but he’s not a defensive midfielder like Xhaka or Partey. Sambi is not very strong, he’s not the best defender. He’s a midfielder with great passing and dribbling. Arsenal will buy him for the defensive midfielder role, but they will have to put a midfielder next to him who’s good at defending.
“Another thing about Sambi is that he was our captain last season because our real captain was injured. So Arsenal fans can expect him to be a leader there, maybe in a few years. I don’t think he’s ready for the Premier League just yet, but he will be in a few years.”
The Insider’s View:
Geyssens’ comments really are interesting. We were all led to believe that Lokonga is a defensive midfielder, but it seems like the Belgian is more of a number eight with brilliant passing and dribbling skills.
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That’s not really what Arsenal need as a priority now, but with Dani Ceballos gone, Lokonga could fill that role really well.
Geyssens’ words tell us that Lokonga has a bright future ahead of him. His ball-playing style suits Arteta’s system perfectly, and in the long run, he will likely be an exceptional player for us if we manage to sign him in the coming days.
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