Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Anderlecht's Albert Sambi Lokonga in a deal worth up to €17.5 million plus add-ons.
The 21-year-old midfielder will replace Granit Xhaka, who is anticipated to join AS Roma before the end of the transfer window, in Mikel Arteta's midfield.
Lokonga made his Jupiler League debut in 2017 and has since played 78 times for the Belgian giants, mostly as a holding midfielder. That total would be considerably higher if he hadn't been sidelined for seven months in 2018 due to a damaged cruciate ligament.
He was already a Belgian under-21 international when Roberto Martinez called him up to the senior squad in March, although he has yet to make his full debut.
“Albert is a very bright player who has showed remarkable maturity in his performances during his development,” Mikel Arteta said of the deal.
“Vincent Kompany and his Anderlecht coaching staff have done an excellent job with him. 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.”
No comments:
Post a Comment