Brighton are interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga.
According to Alex Crook from TalkSport, Brighton are looking at bringing him on loan, after talks have stalled with Carlos Baleba of Lille, despite the deal looking to have been close on Monday night.
Sambi Lokonga has fallen down the pecking order and out of favour under Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, so he will be available for a move.
Who is Albert Sambi Lokonga?
Sambi Lokonga is a 23-year-old Belgium international who started his career at Anderlecht, coming through the club’s academy before becoming a regular for the first team.
Since making his professional debut at the age of 18, Sambi Lokonga went on to play 71 games for Anderlecht, scoring three goals.
His form then captured interested from across Europe, but it was Arsenal who stopped in and secured his signature in the summer of 2021 for a fee believed to be around €17.5 million.
Across a season and a half, he made 39 appearances for the Gunners, before spending the second half of last season on loan at Brighton’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace. He made nine appearances for the Eagles as they managed to steer themselves away from relegation.
Brighton are in need of a defensive midfielder after the record departure of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for £115 million.
They have been primarily linked with two players as replacements, firstly the aforementioned Baleba from Lille, and Fabricio Díaz of Uruguayan side Liverpool Montevideo.
Brighton are said to have submitted a bid most recently of €30 million euros for Baleba, but it appears negotiations have stalled. Díaz is still a player the Seagulls continue to target.