ARSENAL have completed the signing of Albert Samhi Lokonga from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have confirmed.
The Gunners announced the signing of the Belgian youngster on Monday.
“Albert Sambi Lokonga has joined us from Anderlecht on a long-term contract,” Arsenal stated.
“The 21-year-old midfielder came through the Belgian club’s youth system after joining in 2014 as a 15-year-old and signing his first professional contract in November 2017.
“He made his first-team debut for Anderlecht in December 2017 and has been a regular in their side over the past two seasons, making a total of 78 appearances.”
Arsenal’s technical director Edu said the club were excited to welcome the Belgium Under-21 international.
“We are delighted Albert has signed with us, as there was a lot of interest in him and he was a big target for us,” Edu, a former Arsenal midfielder, said.
“Albert is a player we’ve been tracking for some time, and he will bring us strength in depth in the centre of midfield. We look forward to his continued development with us.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta commended Lokonga’s as intelligence and maturity.
He said: “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. 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 with his quality and presence.”
Arsenal explained that Lokonga would join up with his new team-mates after completing the current isolation regulations for international arrivals into the United Kingdom.
He will wear the No.23 shirt and have the name Sambi on the back.
