Albert Sambi Lokonga trudged off the field at the Etihad Stadium having endured a difficult substitute performance after replacing Thomas Partey at half-time. The Belgian didn’t follow his teammates to clap the travelling fans and now it looks as though he won’t see them again this season as a January exit nears.
Talks between Arsenal and Crystal Palace continue to take place football.london understands for Lokonga. A move would be in the form of a loan after the Belgian has failed to establish himself since his move from Anderlecht in 2021.
Arsenal are on the verge of completing a deal for Italian midfielder Jorginho, however this is very much in response to a serious injury to Mohamed Elneny. Prior to the opening of the window and the injury to the Egyptian, for many, a midfielder was still key and so losing Lokonga leaves some questions.
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Despite deputising for Thomas Partey in the number six position, Lokonga is much more of an eight and more suited to play in the role currently occupied by Granit Xhaka. When he came into the club, he spent time alongside Partey with Xhaka out with a serious knee injury and impressed with his performances.
However, significant spells out of the team and brief underwhelming displays in a position not suited to his natural style and his stock amongst the club and the supporters has dropped considerably. A loan makes a lot of sense regarding getting him more minutes at the top level and Crystal Palace will hopefully be able to offer him that.
Patrick Vieira was able to help Conor Gallagher develop into an established English top-flight talent. The hope will be the same process can be repeated for Lokonga.
That said, cover for Granit Xhaka’s role now looks particularly thin. Of course, there are options to potentially come in should the Swiss player be out for whatever reason, but these are more so versatile players who would be operating in a much more unfamiliar role.
Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira are those two players and have played the role on the odd occasion during their time in the senior Arsenal setup. However, both are far more offensive-minded than Lokonga and perhaps don’t offer the Gunners much in terms of defensive coverage for the role.
Certainly, barring any late moves in the market, the Gunners remain thin in the middle third. Arsenal will be hoping they don’t face any further injury trouble as they push toward the Premier League title.
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