Lokonga Makes Priority Clear To Arteta As He Hopes To Overturn Board Decision on His Future
For the time being, Arsenal is the dream club for most players, and the Emirates is the place they want to call home. If this hasn’t hit home yet, listen to what Albert Lokonga Sambi recently said.
On January 31, Lokonga agreed to a loan move to Crystal Palace, where he will work with Arsenal legend Patrice Vieira, who is the manager at Selhurst Park. Many people assumed his decision to leave Arsenal was simple, but it was not.
Lokonga admits he never wanted to leave Arsenal, considering the club’s current success. However, Arteta persuaded him that he needed to go out there and show how good he is in order to secure his future at the Emirates.
“Every player wants to get on the pitch, but it’s only 11 players who make it. I was conflicted about leaving Arsenal because you can see that they are on top of the table. I wanted to be in the fight, but the manager told me I had to fight within myself first and prove my strong side to him. He gave his word that he will reward me if I impress him,” explained the Belgian, as per Football London.
Back before he joined Arsenal, Vincent Kompany described his compatriot as the next Yaya Toure. “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,” said Kompany on Vibe With Five YouTube.
“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.” Lokonga has had a difficult time at Arsenal since joining in 2021. Hopefully, Viiera will be able to assist him in acquiring his magic and proving Kompany correct in comparing him to Yaya Toure in the coming months at Palace.
Do you think Lokonga can improve enough to impress Arteta?
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