- 5 hours ago
Arsenal’s first summer transfer ‘practically decided’
Robin Bairner
- 15 May 2025 02:02 CDT
- 4 min read
News
Arsenal’s first deal of the transfer window has been “practically decided”, with Mikel Arteta’s squad expected to increase by one in time for pre-season training.
While the Gunners are in the market to improve their options in attack, principally looking to sign a striker and an attacking midfielder, they will also be out this summer to increase the depth in the midfield as Thomas Partey and Jorginho will leave the club as free agents.
Arteta’s numbers in the heart of the park are set to be reinforced by the return of Albert Sambi Lokonga from a loan with Sevilla.
“It is practically decided that Saul Níguez and Albert Sambi Lokonga will not continue at Sevilla,” Matteo Moretto tweeted. “The two players, on loan from Atletico Madrid and Arsenal respectively, will return to their original clubs.”
Current ETV
Albert Sambi Lokonga
M, DM (C)
Sevilla
Albert Sambi Lokonga
M, DM (C)
Sevilla
ETV Range
€8.4M - €11.3M
Does Sambi Lokonga have a future at Arsenal?
Sambi Lokonga was a regular starter with Sevilla when fit but was plagued by hamstring issues that saw him miss a high number of matches over the course of the season.
Injury issues have been the story of his career to date and one of the reasons the 25-year-old Belgium international has struggled to impose himself at Arsenal.
He now has just a year left on his deal at the Emirates Stadium but could have even less time than this to impress Arteta, who signed him from Anderlecht in 2021. Arsenal’s shortage of central midfielders going into the summer does suggest he may get a chance in pre-season, though.
Unfortunately for Sambi Lokonga, he is likely to come up short in his quest to break back into the Arsenal fold.
Data analysis company SciSports rate the 25-year-old only as a backup option for the Gunners. Indeed, he is not even as strong as Jorginho, who has barely featured this season.
The future for Sambi Lokonga, therefore, looks likely to be away from Arsenal, who have seen his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) drop to €9.8m.
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