According to Voetbal International, Arsenal have reached an agreement with RSC Anderlecht over the signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga.
What’s the story?
Well, the Gunners have been haggling with the Belgian outfit for a while now, but it seems the north Londoners have struck a deal.
Voetbal International believe Arsenal will initially pay €17.5 million (£15 million) in a deal that could rise to £22 million (£19 million) with bonuses.
Negotiations stalled as RSC Anderlecht wanted a 15% sell-on clause.
However, both sides have now shaken hands on a 5% resale clause, which will see the Belgians land a cut of any future fee received by Arsenal.
Voetbal International believe Lokonga is very close to moving to north London.
The 21-year-old will now undergo a medical with the Gunners, before putting pen to paper on his contract.
What type of player is Albert Sambi Lokonga?
Seeing as he’s quite young, and has been playing outside of Europe’s top five leagues, you may not know much about Lokonga.
In that respect, a comparison can always be helpful, and the Belgian has been compared to one of Europe’s greatest midfielders.
According to Calciomercato, Lokonga has drawn comparisons to Barcelona and Spain maestro Sergio Busquets.
The Italian news outlet describe Lokonga as someone who excels at ‘filtering and tidying up’ ahead of the backline, just like Busquets does.
In our view, this could be a masterstroke for only £15 million.
Some real gems, such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, have swapped the Jupiler Pro League for the Premier League.
If Lokonga turns out to be the next, Arsenal have worked wonders.
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