Albert Sambi Lokonga looks set to leave Arsenal this summer, with Burnley manager Vincent Kompany interested in the midfielder.
Lokonga, 23, joined the Gunners from Anderlecht in July 2021 in a £17million deal after Kompany, who was manager of the Belgian club at the time, comparing him to the great Yaya Toure. Kompany played with Toure during their time together at Manchester City.
Yet Lokonga has failed to convince Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The Belgium international has played just 25 Premier League games for the Gunners since the transfer and was loaned out to Crystal Palace in January. He has struggled to impress at Selhurst Park.
As reported by The Sun, Kompany is plotting a swoop for Lokonga. Burnley stormed to the Championship title this season, finishing 10 points clear of Sheffield United in second, and Kompany wants to build a squad capable of staying in the Premier League.
Burnley enjoyed a six-year spell in the top flight under Sean Dyche by playing a direct, resolute and pragmatic style of football. Yet Kompany has transformed Burnley into a free-flowing, possession-obsessed team and he needs players to fit that system.
Kompany has been told by Burnley's hierarchy that he will be backed in the transfer market after signing a new five-year deal at Turf Moor. It's believed the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham were interested in appointing him before he made the commitment.
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Lokonga could be the perfect midfielder for the job after impressing under Kompany at Anderlecht. The emerging talent will have also learnt from Arteta during his time at the Emirates, as the Gunners boss has also been influenced by Pep Guardiola's philosophy.
Lokonga still has three years remaining on his Arsenal contract. It's believed the Gunners want around £15m for his services. Alternatively, Kompany could try to sign him on loan.
Lokonga's time at Palace has not gone to plan. He failed to contribute to a win during his first six outings under Patrick Vieira and has slipped down the pecking order since Roy Hodgson became the manager. He's not featured in any of Palace's last three games.
Kompany was full of praise for Lokonga during an appearance on Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five podcast in 2021. He said: "When I was still a player for City, I was coming to a point where I was thinking about my future. Management? Carry on? Sign a new deal?
"I was watching football from different countries, different places. And I saw Sambi play his first game - his first two games - then he got an injury to his knee. But the first thing I did when I saw Sambi is I went to Mikel and said, 'You've got to watch this guy, he's the new Yaya Toure'."
Arteta agreed enough to sign Lokonga, but it appears that faith in him has evaporated.
