Arsenal complete Albert Sambi Lokonga as second summer transfer

It may have been fairly conclusive for a number of weeks now but Albert Sambi Lokonga has signed for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta secures his second transfer of the summer window.

Nuno Tavares was the first to walk through the doors and in the Belgian Arsenal have managed to secure a highly-rated midfielder to bolster an area of the squad significantly lacking in depth.

A move in the making in usually sluggish Arsenal style, the 21-year-old arrives from Anderlecht in a deal worth an upfront fee of around £15m after long negotiations over initial fees, add-ons and the extent of any sell-on clause.

Lokonga will wear the number 23 for Arsenal, not the number 48 as reported which was in reference to his hometown of Verviers which has an area code of 4800.

Arsenal confirm Albert Sambi Lokonga as second summer transfer of the window for around £18m following the addition of Nuno Tavares

Having undergone isolation in the UK following his medical in the Netherlands, the midfielder can now join with the rest of the Arsenal squad as they prepare for the next leg of their pre-season preparations.

Speaking on the official Arsenal website, Mikel Arteta expressed his delight to get the deal over the line.

"“Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development,” he said.“He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht. 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.”"

A profile in the dynamic Lokonga will add to Arsenal can be found here.

"Technical director Edu added: “We are delighted Albert has signed with us, as there was a lot of interest in him and he was a big target for us. Albert is a player we’ve been tracking for some time, and he will bring us strength in depth in the centre of midfield. We look forward to his continued development with us.”"

Lokonga has arrived in time to join Arsenal on their tour of the USA for the Florida Cup, although that has been plunged into doubt with Inter wanting to withdraw over fears of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

Nonetheless, welcome, Sambi!