LONDON – Arsenal has signed Belgium Under-21 midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said.
The clubs did not disclose the transfer fee but British media reported that the deal was worth an initial £15 million for the 21-year-old.
Lokonga made his senior debut for Anderlecht in 2017 after coming through the club’s youth academy and made his breakthrough in the 2019-20 campaign with 26 appearances in all competitions.
He established himself as a regular under manager Vincent Kompany last season and featured 37 times across all competitions, also chipping in with three goals and three assists.
“Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development. He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told the club’s website.
“I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons.
“We’re confident Albert’s ready for the next stage in his development and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad,” he added according to Reuters.
Lokonga has been capped seven times at Under-21 level for Belgium and received a call-up to Roberto Martinez’s senior side in March but was an unused substitute.
He is Arsenal’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of defender Nuno Tavares from Benfica this month.
Arsenal finished eighth in the Premier League last season and will begin their 2021-22 campaign at newly promoted Brentford on August 13.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United’s arbitration proceedings against the Premier League over last year’s aborted takeover attempt have been adjourned until early 2022 due to “issues with the disclosure of evidence”, the Premier League club said.
The proposed £305 million takeover by a consortium which included Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers collapsed in July when the group announced they were ending their interest.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley had initiated legal proceedings against the Premier League earlier this year, accusing the league of acting inappropriately in rejecting the takeover bid.
“The parties attended a hearing today in the case between Newcastle United and the Premier League,” the club said.
“The main hearing of the arbitration has regrettably now been adjourned until early 2022 due to issues with the disclosure of evidence.”
The deal had initially been delayed by the Premier League’s owners and directors test.
The league’s chief executive Richard Masters said at the time that it collapsed after the consortium declined to take up the Premier League’s offer of independent arbitration to decide who would own the club.
The bid had been criticised by human rights campaigners and had raised questions about pirate broadcasts of Premier League games in Saudi Arabia.
