Arsenal midfielder closing in on transfer to Burnley
Alan Nixon reports for The S*n that Arsenal are trying to sell Albert Sambi Lokonga to Burnley, and the promoted Premier League side would ideally like to buy the midfielder.
But the two sides are finding it hard to complete the deal, and it’s suggested that a loan may be the eventual solution.
Regardless of the nature of the deal, Nixon suggests Lokonga is now closing in on the move.
This is far from the first report linking Lokonga with a summer move.
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The Evening Standard also recently reported that Lokonga is set to leave Arsenal this summer, after spending the second half of last season with Crystal Palace on loan.
The Standard claimed Burnley are tracking the Arsenal midfielder closely, with manager Vincent Kompany knowing the player well from their time together at Anderlecht.
The Daily Mail also recently confirmed that Burnley are interested in Lokonga this summer, with the Gunners willing to consider another loan for the Belgian midfielder.
Sevilla were another club chasing Lokonga going into the summer, but that was before sporting director Monchi left for Aston Villa. It’s not clear how that departure might have affected their interest.
In May, the suggestion was that Arsenal were considering a permanent sale for Lokonga.
But if Sevilla are no longer in the race, perhaps a loan could become more likely, as the Gunners would struggle to get value out of a one-horse race from Burnley.
Arsenal signed Lokonga from Anderlecht for around £15m plus add-ons in 2021, and he made a relatively bright start to life with the club.
But after largely dropping out of Mikel Arteta’s team in the second half of 2021/22, and failing to see much of a change in the first half of the most recent campaign, the midfielder went out on loan to Crystal Palace.
Lokonga had a mixed time out on loan, initially playing a regular role in the Palace side before dropping back to the bench in the final couple of months.
In all, the Belgian international made nine appearances for Palace. Though his chances at the club weren’t helped by the departure of the manager who brought him in – Patrick Vieira.
Arsenal are pushing for midfield signings in the current window, with plenty of high-profile players linked with a move.
So despite reports of potential departures for the likes of Granit Xhaka, the pathway to minutes for Lokonga under Arteta seems to be congested.
