Arsenal confirm loans of Nuno Tavares & Albert Sambi Lokonga

Arsenal have confirmed the loan departures of Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who have joined Lazio and Sevilla respectively for the 2024/25 season.

It's been a quiet start to the summer transfer window for the Gunners, although things are set to pick up following the conclusion of Euro 2024 and the Copa America.

Mikel Arteta isn't aiming to make wholesale changes, with his squad merely requiring a few finishing touches. High-quality must be added, but deadwood must also be ditched in order to streamline squad.

That streamlining began with the exits of veterans Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares, continuing with the two loan moves confirmed on Monday.

Arsenal confirm loans of Nuno Tavares & Albert Sambi Lokonga

Both Tavares and Lokonga joined the club ahead of the 2021/22 season, but neither player was able to cement themselves within Arteta's set-up.

The raw Tavares remains talented, but his fetish for a brain fade meant he was never going to cut it at the Emirates. The left-back did impress at Marseille in 2022/23, but his loan at Nottingham Forest last season failed to pay dividends. As a result, Arsenal have been forced into loaning the 24-year-old out again, but there is a mandatory buy clause inserted into his Lazio contract.

The Gunners will earn £7m for his sale if Tavares meets the conditions in his loan and Lazio buy the player outright. A hefty 25% sell-on clause has also been included.

Arsenal have also done well to include a 25% sell-on clause if Lokonga sings for Sevilla permanently at the end of his loan. The Belgian was signed as a project three years ago, but his issues out of possession meant he struggled for regular game time in 2022/23 having shown promise during his debut season.

Sevilla have the option to buy Lokonga for £10m at the end of his loan, which represents a fairly significant loss given that Arsenal signed the midfielder for £17m.

The former Anderlecht midfielder did impress on loan at Luton Town last season, and he should have more success in the slower paced La Liga given his natural gifts as a passer.

The fees involved with these two exits are far from ideal, although removing them from the club's books relatively early on in the window is a positive. Arsenal will now aim to move on several valuable but disposal assets to potentially facilitate arrivals.

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