Albert Sambi Lokonga may reportedly still have a long-term future at Arsenal.
There were high hopes for the midfielder when he made the switch from Anderlecht to the Gunners in 2021 for a fee in the region of £15m.
However, he failed to impress in his 14 starts and 11 substitute outings in the Premier League, nor in his 14 appearances in all competitions, up until January 2023.
The Belgium international also struggled to make an impact during a loan stint at Crystal Palace during the second half of the 2022-23 campaign, strengthening the feeling that he would find it difficult to break back into Mikel Arteta's plans.
With a sale unable to be agreed during the summer, the 24-year-old eventually found himself making the loan switch to newly-promoted Luton Town.
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While injury initially disrupted his time at Kenilworth Road, Lokonga has since returned and produced his best form in English football, starring for the Hatters since December 23.
In seven starts for Lokonga since then, Luton have won four times and lost just the once - to Chelsea by a 3-2 scoreline - and Lokonga supplied the second of two assists during the 4-0 triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the performances of Lokonga have started to turn a few heads behind the scenes at Arsenal.
As it stands, the North Londoners still plan to try to cash in on Lokonga in a bid to boost their FFP position after it prevented them from making new signings in January.
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Nevertheless, speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano says that Arsenal are willing "to assess the situation" during the summer transfer window.
Lokonga's contract at Arsenal does not expire until the end of 2025-26, essentially leaving the club in a position where the summer is the ideal time to try to maximise his value.
That said, the contracts of fellow midfielders Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny are due to expire in the summer, albeit Arsenal having the option to extend Jorginho's by a further 12 months.
Luton will look to move further clear of the Premier League relegation zone when they face Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday.
Darren Plant
