Luton Town loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga opens door to Arsenal return

When the Gunners spent £15m to sign the midfielder from Anderlecht in 2021, the hope was that he would develop into a first-team star under Mikel Arteta.

Instead, the Belgium international has been unable to impress at the Emirates Stadium, being restricted to 14 starts and 11 substitute outings in the Premier League up until January 2023.

At that point, Arteta gave the green light to a loan to Crystal Palace, where he made a further nine top-flight outings without overly making a positive impact, and another temporary switch to newly-promoted Luton Town followed.

However, in sharp contrast to his previous two years in English football, Lokonga has proven to be a resounding success across his 11 appearances for the Hatters in the Premier League.

Although Luton's form has dropped off in recent weeks, the 24-year-old has continued to stand out, particularly in the 2-1 reverse at home to Manchester United at the weekend.

With Arsenal eager to boost their FFP position in the summer, thought will realistically be given to cashing in on Lokonga now that his reputation is back on an upward curve.

Nevertheless, Lokonga has hinted that he has not given up on being reintegrated back into the senior fold at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking to DH, Lokonga said: "I think it's too early to say. I haven't had any contact with Mikel Arteta yet. I'm concentrating on Luton. We'll talk to Arsenal at the end of the season.

"But everything will happen gradually. I still consider myself an Arsenal player. I'm appreciated there by the fans and the staff.

"I think I can have a future at Arsenal, but that will depend on my performances here. I've always said that as long as I have a contract with the Gunners, I'd like to make my mark there."

As it stands, Lokonga holds a contract with the North Londoners until 2026, and there has been no talk over a renewal while he remains on the periphery of their plans.

That said, Arsenal are currently in a position where they are in line to be two midfielders light ahead of 2024-25, a consequence of the deals of Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny being due to expire.