Thierry Henry will always be an Arsenal legend, but not every contribution the iconic Frenchman has made to the club has been a success, as shown by one deadline day deal
A player Thierry Henry recommended to Arsenal looks set to depart the club for a small fee, bringing an end to his disappointing spell with the Gunners. Back in the summer of 2021, Arsenal signed Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht.
At the time, the Belgian international was considered a bright prospect and a « natural leader » when he moved to the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth around £17.2million. After he made 19 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign, he drifted further away from Arteta’s plans.
He was sent on loan to Crystal Palace in January 2023, before another temporary stay with Luton Town was followed by yet another loan spell at Sevilla. The now 25-year-old looks set for a permanent move to Hamburg, for what has been described as a « modest fee ».
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His exit highlights the fact Arsenal have given up on Sambi-Lokonga despite Henry’s recommendation. When he was working with the Belgium national team, the Gunners legend urged his former side to sign the midfielder after working with him closely.
When he arrived in north London, Sambi Lokonga opened up on the advice Henry had given him during their time together. He said: « I was with him for only two days.
« Then I left the camp with the national team. He gave me some advice about Arsenal, the way the people are, the mentality I need to have – some little things like that.”
Arteta’s glowing appraisal of the midfielder shortly after his arrival also highlighted the hope and promise he had in the then youngster. When the move was confirmed, the Spaniard told reporters: « Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity.
« 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. »
Arteta signed Sambi Lokonga with an eye on the future. Unfortunately for the young midfielder, the Spaniard quickly abandoned these plans and instead opted to fix his midfield with the expensive arrivals of stars like £105m man Declan Rice, Spanish midfield star Martin Zubimendi for around £60m and Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.
In an interview with the Standard in May, Sambi Lokonga did not say he regretted his move to Arsenal, but did admit it has not been a complete success. Speaking honestly about his uncertain situation at the time, he said: « At the end of the day, I did well and that was just part of the process. It is not everywhere you are going to go that you are going to succeed.
« When you arrive at a club like Arsenal, you don’t have time to adapt. You need to be there directly and to perform. With Mikel [Arteta], I learned so much and, for me, he is one of the best coaches I have had in my career. It is how he is in the details, how he is predicting things that can happen on the pitch. He is a leader. »
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