Who is leaving Arsenal this summer?
The Belgian is one of a few players who look very likely to depart Arsenal before deadline day as manager Mikel Arteta and transfer chief Edu Gaspar attempt to balance the books.
So far, just Pablo Mari, Aaron Trusty, Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have officially made way for Arsenal's trio of marquee signings in winger Kai Havertz, midfielder Declan Rice and defender Jurrien Timber.
However, it is believed that the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Folarin Balogun could soon be heading towards the exit door, with the former attracting serious interest from Turkey.
Meanwhile, Balogun is up for sale and Arsenal will do a deal for the right price, though it is believed they value last season's star Reims forward at around £50 million.
The north Londoners have also been in talks to offload Lokonga on loan with Vincent Kompany's Burnley side attempting to sign the player. Reports out of Belgium have even suggested that Arsenal could include a mandatory buy option on the deal.
A report by Football Insider has shared an update on the saga, and after a "breakthrough", it appears there is now a "full agreement" between Burnley and Arsenal over a loan deal.
The outlet wrote:
"Arsenal star Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to sign for Burnley on loan after a breakthrough in talks.
"A full agreement is in place between the two clubs and the midfielder has made clear his desire to join the Premier League new boys.
"The Clarets’ manager Vincent Kompany is key to the deal as Sambi Lokonga regards the Man City legend as his idol."
albert-sambi-lokonga-crystal-palace-championshipExpanding further, and backing previous claims, FI also write that there is a very good chance that the agreement could include clauses for a permanent transfer next summer.
Kompany, for his part, is a huge admirer of his fellow Belgian and is keen to reunite with the 23-year-old after working together at Anderlecht.
How good is Albert Sambi Lokonga?
The former Crystal Palace loanee has struggled to fight his way into Arteta's plans since signing for the club in the summer of 2021.
Lokonga spent the second half of last campaign on a temporary spell at Selhurst Park, managing nine appearances and averaged 1.4 tackles per match in the top flight (WhoScored).
The international hasn't been able to replicate his final season at Anderlecht in 2020/2021, where he started 33 Belgian top flight matches and racked up five goal contributions.
However, those numbers suggest there is a player of real quality there, as explained by Arteta upon his capture.
“Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development. He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht,” Arteta told Arsenal’s official website (via The Standard).
“I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons.
“We’re confident Albert’s ready for the next stage in his development and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad with his quality and presence.”
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