According to The Telegraph, Burnley are in talks with Arsenal over a loan move for Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Should a deal be finalised, the 23-year-old would reunite with compatriot Vincent Kompany; his former coach at Anderlecht and someone who previously compared his quality to Yaya Toure.
There were high hopes for Lokonga when the Gunners snapped him up from Anderlecht two years ago but he’s not been able to establish himself at Emirates Stadium where his credentials as a holding midfielder have been tested to the limit.
Following the acquisitions of Declan Rice and Jorginho, and the decisions to retain Mo Elneny and Thomas Partey, it seems clear the Belgium international is not in Mikel Arteta’s plans for the season ahead.
Lokonga spent the second half of last season on loan with Crystal Palace, a move that looked good on paper, but he ended up spending most of his time on the bench after manager Patrick Vieira was replaced by Roy Hodgson.
At this point, he clearly needs regular game time to rebuild damaged confidence.
While it won’t be easy forcing his way into the Burnley starting lineup – the Clarets, now rebranded as an exciting football outfit, ran away with the Championship last season – the attraction of playing for a manager who clearly rates him is there for all to see. 
News of Burnley’s interest in Lokonga comes quick on the heels of moves by Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United for Matt Turner and Auston Trusty respectively. Now that the club have returned from the recent tour of the USA, they are making a concerted effort to slim down Arsenal’s bloated first team squad.
