Albert Sambi Lokonga is injured and would have been ineligible to face his parent club in any case, but Luton‘s meeting with Arsenal naturally brings him into focus ahead of what is shaping up to be a crucial juncture in his career.
The 24-year-old was sent out on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day last summer in a move that seemed to be as much about creating extra space in Mikel Arteta‘s squad as it was about facilitating the Belgian’s development.
The Gunners had high hopes for Lokonga when they bought him from Anderlecht for £18m in 2021, but he struggled to match them in his first 18 months in north London, starting just 12 Premier League games for Arsenal in 2021-22 and only two the following campaign before experiencing a forgettable spell with Crystal Palace.
But the move to Luton has been the making of Lokonga. Rob Edwards has been effusive in his praise of him, supporters have been similarly impressed and Jurgen Klopp’s comments before Liverpool’s fixture against the Hatters in February succeeded in thrusting Arsenal’s forgotten man back into the spotlight.
“Lokonga, when you see him playing and you think, oh, he’s an Arsenal player and they loaned him? Interesting,” mused Klopp in what could have been interpreted as a subtle dig at Liverpool’s title rivals.
Sadly for Luton and Edwards, who is contending with a debilitating injury list, Lokonga came off at half-time at Anfield due to a muscle strain and hasn’t featured again since.
It was unfortunate timing for Lokonga coming so soon after a brilliant individual performance against Manchester United in which he misplaced just three of his 72 passes and made a stunning block after a lung-busting run through midfield to prevent a certain goal for Bruno Fernandes.
Lokonga’s quality on the ball and determination to win it back it have made him a popular player at the Kenny.
“I love him, he’s amazing,” said Edwards, like a lovestruck teenager, in February. “I think he’s a brilliant player. I told him as we were walking off the pitch after training, ‘god you’re some player, I love watching you play.’ He’s great. He’s been great for us.
“A brilliant person. So hard-working, really humble, really talented, very tactically aware, in the right place at the right time to control a game, takes the ball under pressure.
“He’s giving us a final pass as well now. He’s looking like, for me, a really complete midfield player.”
The most noticeable aspects of his game are his composure in possession and his assured technique. Lokonga has completed just under 50 passes per-90 minutes this season, more than any other Luton player, and has recorded comfortably the best accuracy rate in their squad too with 89.6 per cent.
Furthermore, he has only registered five unsuccessful touches, regarded by Opta as an instance when a player has mis-controlled the ball, and been dispossessed just five times. In comparison, Lokonga’s midfield partner Ross Barkley, who has been Luton’s standout player in the top-flight, has had 19 unsuccessful touches and been dispossessed 37 times, albeit in twice as many appearances.
Lokonga is effectively Luton’s stress ball, with his care of the ball and ability to distribute it accurately helping to relieve pressure.
The only negative aspect of Lokonga’s time at Luton is that he simply hasn’t been on the pitch enough. He missed 10 games between the end of September and the start of December due to a hamstring injury and has been unavailable for their last six with a similar issue.
Edwards will be hoping he can return soon to contribute towards Luton’s attempt to avoid the drop, while Lokonga will also want to squeeze as much first-team football as he can into the final few weeks before reporting for pre-season.
Arsenal’s intentions for Lokonga will soon become clear considering central midfield is a position they will need to replenish in the near future.
Of the four players over the age of 30 in Arteta’s squad, three are midfielders – Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny – and each of them are out of contract either this summer or next.
Jorginho’s excellent recent form makes it likely that Arsenal will trigger a 12-month extension in his deal that is due to run out in June, but both Elneny and Partey could move on which would leave gaps that need to be filled.
Summer additions are likely and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz and Everton’s Amadou Onana are among the high-profile midfielders linked with potential moves to the Emirates.
Despite recording accounting losses of £52m, Arsenal are believed to have wriggle room when it comes to Profit And Sustainability Rules [PSR] but another £200m+ summer splurge on new recruits seems unlikely unless significant funds are raised from player sales.
Reintegrating Lokonga could be a prudent way of reinforcing the squad without falling foul of PSR. Alternatively, Arsenal may decide now is a good time to cash in on Lokonga, with a promising loan pushing up his value as he enters the final two years of his contract.
Either way, Lokonga has shown that he is cut out for English football and is starting to make good on his potential, giving Arteta a potentially tricky decision to make.
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