Arsenal face some difficult transfer decisions this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to bounce back after missing out on the Premier League title.
The Gunners came from behind to beat Everton on the final day of the Premier League season.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kai Havertz were both on the scoresheet as Arsenal overturned a 1-0 deficit to claim all three points.
That wasn’t enough to win the Premier League title though as Manchester City beat West Ham United to secure top spot.
That is two second-place finishes in a row for Arsenal, who just haven’t been able to dethrone City at the top of the table.
Arsenal did make progress this season though, finishing five points better off than last term.
Mikel Arteta will be looking for any way to close the gap this summer and a host of players may find themselves being moved on.
Albert Sambi Lokonga praised ahead of Arsenal return
Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny have already gone and the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Thomas Partey, could follow.
Returning loan players could move on too with Nuno Tavares and Kieran Tierney surely available upon returning to Arsenal this summer.
The same goes for Albert Sambi Lokonga, who spent the season on loan at Luton Town.
The 2021 signing from Anderlecht had a strong start to life at Arsenal but faded out of the plans.
After a spell at Crystal Palace, Lokonga was farmed out to Luton Town and he has managed 16 Premier League starts this season.
One goal and three assists wasn’t a bad return for Lokonga, who came back from injury to make a real impact.
The 24-year-old has now said goodbye to Luton with an emotional farewell to the Hatters.
Lokonga thanked everybody at Luton and vowed to keep supporting the club from afar once he moves on.
Lokonga received major praise from teammates, including Andros Townsend.
Townsend suggested that Lokonga is ‘some player’, but still only the second best player in his family.
That is because Lokonga’s brother Paul-Jose M’Poku, a winger who came up in the Tottenham Hotspur ranks alongside Townsend.
Teammate Elijah Adebayo admitted that it’s ‘been a pleasure’ to play alongside Lokonga with defender Mads Juel Andersen adding ‘my favourite player’ after seeing the midfielder’s displays.
Carlton Morris called Lokonga a ‘top player’, so it’s clear that the Gunners talent made a real impression during his time at Kenilworth Road.
Whether that is enough to give him a future at Arsenal is unclear, but this loan move has surely at least put Lokonga in the shop window for a potential move elsewhere.
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