Arsenal: 3 Albert Sambi Lokonga tactical roles under Arteta

Arsenal are signing players at a rate of one every 20 days, so we now wait for Ben White to be completed on August 8th! But no, jokes aside, Albert Sambi Lokonga has been confirmed and it’s a brilliant piece of business from the club. There is a lot to like.

Confirmed on Monday, ‘Sambi’ has signed a four-year deal with the option of an extra 12 months and will wear the No. 23 shirt. Interestingly, that leaves only #8, #10 and #18 free to choose from. That’s another discussion, though.

Desperately needing midfielders this summer with a host, supposedly, set for the exit door, Arsenal have acquired a highly rated 21-year-old for an upfront fee of £15m that has all the hallmarks of being a suave addition.

Arsenal have the Florida Cup pencilled in on Sunday, should they travel, which will present supporters with their first glimpse of the Belgian in action.

3 Albert Sambi Lokonga tactical roles under Mikel Arteta after Arsenal complete second transfer of summer window

A lot has been written about the midfielder and he arrives from Anderlecht with numerous admirers, which is enough in itself to get fans excited. But where will he play?

Sambi is not someone who will be immediately thrust into the starting lineup and despite being a regular for his former side as well as part-time captain, patience will be needed with him. Nonetheless, with the midfield set to shrink at Arsenal, the minutes are there to be had.

His development will be monitored accordingly as Mikel Arteta begins work on instilling his ideas in him, but his profile and style gives the manager the opportunity to field him in three different positions, with three different tactical roles.

Indications are that he can fulfill all three further down the line.

1. Double Pivot Partner in 4-2-3-1

Vincent Kompany has adopted a 4-3-3 system since taking the reins at Anderlecht and Sambi’s role in that differs from the 4-3-2-1 setup that Arteta appears to be sticking with for the time being.

Lining up on the right of the midfield three, were he to move into a double pivot his role would differ slightly.

Looking across Arteta’s options, a partnership of Sambi and Thomas Partey seems unlikely. If comparing the Belgian to any other midfielder in the squad, he shares most similarities with the Ghanaian. Were he to be fielded with a more box-to-box option like Joe Willock, his capabilities as a No. 6 would be called into action more.

A strong passer of the ball at all ranges, his long distribution is excellent and playing as the deeper of the pivot he’ll be able to unlock that potential in transition. Averaging 5.18 long passes/90 for a 60.3% accuracy is very impressive numbers for someone his age. With a large concentration of his long balls reaching wide areas, it will suit the attacking full-backs Arteta employs.

His proactive reading of danger (he ranked fifth for interceptions by midfielders in the Pro League last season) suits with a more willing midfield runner alongside, able to break up play and feed the charges of a, say, Willock.

His progressive passing qualities would be more useful but the ever-changing shape in Arteta’s initial 4-2-3-1 would allow him to demonstrate his more attack-minded strengths. He boasts the box-to-box qualities in his locker, mostly seen with his progressive carrying ability, and in a possession-based side he will be able to be on the ball more often in advanced areas.

It looks set to be the position he plays most often if Arteta’s style last season is anything to go by.