Burnley could be on the verge of signing Albert Sambi Lokonga this summer.
According to the Daily Mirror (print, p.79, July 30th, 2022), Arsenal are willing to let Albert Sambi Lokonga leave the club in the current transfer window, with a loan move to Burnley the most likely outcome.
Arsenal need to trim their squad. Arteta has already described the number of players under his charge at present as being “unsustainable,” as quoted by Sky Sports. Lokonga is an obvious candidate for an exit, having been left out of the Arsenal pre-season tour squad.
The Belgian midfielder has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for the Gunners since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in 2021, which cost the north London outfit around £17 million. Lokonga has made 39 appearances for Arsenal in total, but has been pushed even further down the pecking order by the recent arrival of Declan Rice.
Having struggled for game time whilst on loan at Crystal Palace last season, Lokonga needs a change. The player looks low on confidence, but he does have quality. Vincent Kompany will back himself to get the best out of his 23-year-old compatriot.
Kompany and Lokonga need each other
Kompany certainly knows the player’s qualities well. Lokonga played under the Burnley boss when he was in charge at Anderlecht. Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the FIVE YouTube channel, Kompany described Lokonga as “the new Yaya Toure.” He went on to say, “he wants the ball no matter what…He will never hide away from his responsibility…For me, that’s what Sambi has that makes him special.”
Clearly, it would be a huge boost for Kompany to bring Lokonga to Turf Moor. The once-capped Belgium international also desperately needs to once again be working with a manager who has absolute faith in him. If he can get that, then Burnley fans stand a great chance of seeing Lokonga finally live up to his potential in the Premier League.
A confident, in-form Lokonga would be a big boost to the Clarets’ top flight survival hopes. For all parties involved, this is a deal that needs to get done.