Arsenal
Reports: Player to undergo medical in London today ahead of £18m Arsenal move
Albert Lokongo will undergo a medical in London today. Midfielder will sign a five-year contract and join Arsenal for £18m.
Anderlecht midfielder Albert Lokonga will undergo his medical today before signing a five-year contract with Arsenal, according to Belgian outlet HLN.
Lokonga has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer after being identified as a key transfer target as Mikel Arteta looks to overhaul his Arsenal squad following a disappointing 2020/21 campaign.
Midfield is a particular area of concern as Matteo Guendouzi has joined Marseille, Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard have returned to Real Madrid while Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira are expected to secure moves away from north London.
It means Arteta needs midfield reinforcements and Arsenal are closing in on a move for Lokonga. Het Nieuwsblad [via Sport Witness] reported last week that a deal was in place which would see the Gunners pay £15m [€17.5m] up front with another £3.4m [€4m] in bonuses meaning the transfer could be worth just over £18m.
Dutch outlet Voetbalkrant reported earlier this week that Lokonga was expected to be given the green light to travel to London on Wednesday to finalise his proposed move to the Emirates.
Now, Belgium publication HLN claims Lokonga will begin his medical tests today before signing a five-year contract with Arsenal with the two clubs putting the finishing touches on the paperwork for the deal.
As long as there are no late complications, it seems the 21-year-old is set to become Arsenal’s first major signing of the summer window and he should prove to be an excellent long-term addition to their squad.
Lokonga has developed into one of the most highly-rated young talents in Belgian football since breaking into the Anderlecht first team two years ago and he’s already captained the club despite his young age.
The 6ft midfielder was also named on the stand-by list for Belgium’s Euro 2020 squad so he certainly has a bright future ahead of him. Lokonga is known for his excellent passing range and ability to build play from deep so he could be viewed as a potential replacement for Xhaka.
He won’t be the last incoming at Arsenal this summer as Arteta is expected to be extremely busy in the market with the likes of Nuno Tavares, Houssem Aouar and Ben White among his reported targets.
