A lack of playing time might cause Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but he insists he has no regrets about moving to north London.
The young Belgian said in an interview with HLN that he snapped at international team coach Roberto Martinez for leaving him out of the Red Devils’ 30-man provisional squad for the September break. Lokonga thinks that his exclusion was due to a lack of playing time with Arsenal.
Lokonga has made nine appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, yet the former R.S.C. Anderlecht talent has only started five games in total, with Mikel Arteta settled on a midfield three of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard when the trio are all 100% fit.
Signed last year for a reported £17m according to BBC Sport, the 22-year-old is very much viewed by Arsenal as a long-term investment, with Lokonga’s role in the squad still yet to be defined. However, despite not playing that many minutes, the midfielder is seemingly happy in north London.
Whilst there have been claims from the likes of CalcioMercatoWeb that Juventus and AC Milan are interested in Lokonga, it appears that the youngster is committed to Arsenal for the time being, with the midfielder eager to continue his development under Mikel Arteta.
Lokonga said on his playing situation: “I’m at one of the best clubs in England. I could play somewhere else every weekend, but that wouldn’t have been the right solution for me. I develop better with 20 minutes of playing time at Arsenal than always playing elsewhere but always winning with 3 or 4-0.”
The Arsenal career of Lokonga has been extremely unique. While players like Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu have established themselves in the first team since the summer 2021 transfer window, the 22-year-old midfielder appears to be still adjusting to life in north London. Nevertheless, these quotes should give the Gunners peace of mind regarding his future.
After all, this summer there were rumors that Lokonga might leave Arsenal. The midfielder’s most recent remarks, however, appear to indicate that he is prepared to compete for a position and make sure he is a long-term option for the team given that players like Partey and Xhaka are approaching their thirties.
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