Liverpool 'offered' Arsenal star dubbed 'next Yaya Toure' by Man City legend
Albert Sambi Lokonga has emerged as a target for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and the Arsenal man has been likened to Yaya Toure in the past
Liverpool could sign Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga in a surprise move ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is said to be interested in taking the 24-year-old to Anfield to strengthen his options in midfield. The Belgium international has drawn comparisons to former Manchester City star Yaya Toure.
Lokonga joined Arsenal from Anderlecht two years ago after catching the eye while playing under Vincent Kompany for the Belgian Pro League side. He made 24 appearances for the Gunners in his first season in England but fell out of favour last term and was loaned out to Crystal Palace in January.
Lokonga has yet to feature for Arsenal this season due to a muscle injury. According to Get French Football News (via the Express), Lokonga's representatives have offered Liverpool the chance to complete a deal.
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In an interview with Rio Ferdinand on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel in 2021, City legend Kompany described Lokonga as the "new Yaya Toure" and recommended him to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “When I was still a player for City, I was coming to a point where I was thinking about my future,” Kompany said. “Management? Carry on? Sign a new deal?
“I was watching football from different countries, different places. And I saw Sambi play his first game - his first two games - then he got an injury to his knee. But the first thing I did when I saw Sambi is I went to Mikel [Arteta] and said, ‘you've got to watch this guy, he's the new Yaya Toure.’
“Anyway, nothing comes of it. He's got a cruciate ligament and then I end up falling into the management job at Anderlecht, so I'm working with him now. And I had the same conversation about him with Mikel, I still believe the same thing now.”
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Liverpool have added Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo to Klopp's midfield ranks this summer. But the German manager wants another new arrival in the position, with the club also linked to Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch.
On Lokonga, Kompany - who is now in charge at Burnley - added: “I'm not sure I'll do him a favour by saying this kind of stuff. What I like with Sambi - and it’s rare in football what Yaya did have - is he wants the ball no matter what.
"If the team’s not doing well, give the ball to Sambi. If the team’s doing well, give the ball to Sambi. He will never hide away from his responsibility.
“He has things he has to improve. If he remembers the conversations we've had, he will know exactly what he still has to work on. Yaya was a finisher and that's a very rare thing to have. I don't know about that [with Lokonga].
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“The point is you need players who are not afraid to have the ball when the going gets tough. As a centre-back, your job stops at a certain point on the ball.
"And you need to be able to give it to people who see the next pass, see the next move, take responsibility, take people on and put that tempo in when there's no tempo in the game anymore. For me, that's what Sambi has that makes him special.”
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