A lot of transfer rumours involving Arsenal are going to come and go this summer, but it does look like the potential interest in Anderlecht star Albert Sambi-Lokonga is getting more serious.
There have been a few reports earlier today which are suggesting an opening bid has been made, and the two sides aren’t too far apart when it comes to their valuations:
Anderlecht have rejected Arsenal’s first offer for Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi-Lokonga (21).
Arsenal offered more than €15m (bonuses included). The Belgian club are hoping for €20m.#AFC
(With @PJCalcoen / @hlnsport)
?? https://t.co/76KYaeFvj1 pic.twitter.com/fff5NM0DFO
— Kristof Terreur (@kristofterreur) June 15, 2021
He’s an exceptionally talented player who’s broken into the first-team over the past couple of years, while he was also on the standby list for the Belgium squaf for Euro 2020 so he’s clearly got a bright future in the game.
The only downside at this stage would be a lack of experience as he’s only played in 69 league games so far so it’s a limited sample size, and it does suggest it may be too much to expect him to play a key role straight away.
The general response from a lot of the fans on Twitter has been positive, but they want him to be seen as a rotational player to develop rather than a straight replacement for Granit Xhaka if he does go:
This Lokonga guy seems to have a nice profile, why not as long as he's not the replacement for Xhaka.
— thewilsh.bsky.social (@The_Wilsh) June 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/Olly_Stilwell/status/1404758747843547136
I think Lokonga is being bought as a back up and not a replacement for Xhaka
— Himish Paul (@HimishPaul) June 15, 2021
Out: Xhaka – 28yo CM circa £18m
In: Lokonga – 21yo CM circa £18mLooks smart business on paper. Arsenal slowly accumulating a young but very talented squad. Fingers crossed they all develop into the players we need them to be long-term.
— Eric (@eric_arsenal) June 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/Afc_Dima/status/1404760167154126848
https://twitter.com/Titifinesse/status/1404754314632044550
Xhaka’s exit hasn’t been finalised yet but it looks like the fans still want a more experienced player to come in as the direct replacement for him, but having a strong starting XI complimented by talented youngsters with big upsides is exactly what Arsenal need to build going forward.