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‘I didn’t realise’… Albert Sambi Lokonga shares what has shocked him about Arsenal after leaving on loan
Albert Sambi Lokonga has admitted he ‘didn’t realise’ how big a club Arsenal is before leaving on loan.
The Arsenal man joined Luton Town on a season-long loan deal over the summer and has impressed at Kenilworth Road in recent weeks.
Indeed, Gary Neville was shocked by the midfielder’s performance against Manchester United on Sunday.
Despite his encouraging displays, Mikel Arteta is reportedly ready to sell Lokonga this summer.
Yet, Lokonga has been speaking to and shared what shocked him about Arsenal after leaving on loan.
Lokonga on what has shocked him about Arsenal
Speaking to The Athletic, Lokonga admitted he wasn’t aware of how big Arsenal are until he left on loan back in September.
“I didn’t realise how big Arsenal was until this year, because when you’re in it you can’t see really what is happening outside,” he said.
“You just focus on playing and training. Now I have been to Palace and Luton, you can look at it from further away and you can see how big the club is. They have fans all over the world.”
Lokonga was largely underwhelming in terms of his performances for Arteta’s side and it was no surprise to see him head back out on loan.
The 24-year-old didn’t make a real impact at Crystal Palace last term but he seems to be finding his feet at Luton.
You’d imagine that the Belgian midfielder is likely to move on permanently over the summer, with competition for a place in Arteta’s midfield more fierce than ever.
Nevertheless, it’s a surprise to hear Lokonga admit he was unaware of just how big a club Arsenal are. Surely before joining the Gunners back in 2021, he would have been under no illusion that he’d secured a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.