Arsenal confirm Albert Sambi Lokonga signing as Mikel Arteta adds to rebuild

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Arsenal have confirmed the signing of promising Anderlecht youngster Albert Sambi Lokonga as Mikel Arteta hails another welcome addition to his playing squad.

The 21-year-old has made 69 senior appearances for the club since his debut at the age of 18 back in 2017, and has also played for three different Belgium youth sides.

Lokonga is set to cost the club in the region of £18million, and could replace Granit Xhaka who continues to be linked with a move to Jose Mourinho's Roma in Serie A.

The news comes as Ben White nears a move from Brighton, which could take the Gunners' summer spending to in excess of £75m as they look to return to European competition.

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Technical director Edu said: “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.

"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.”

Arteta then added: “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.”

Additionally, Lokonga has spoken about his experience working with Thierry Henry with the Belgium national side.

“It's very great, very great,” Lokonga told Arsenal Media.

"It was really great [to work with him in the Belgian national team].

"A great experience because in the few times I was with him on the pitch I learnt a lot, so it was a really great experience.

“I think it's a good thing for me because Thierry Henry was a legend over here."

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