£30m midfielder so impressed by Arsenal loanee’s performance at the weekend

Orel Mangala was amongst those to laud Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga on social media after the midfielder’s display for Luton Town in their defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Luton’s hopes of remaining in the Premier League were dealt a blow at the weekend. The Hatters were beaten by fellow strugglers Sheffield United. Rob Edwards’ men could have gone four points clear of the bottom three with a win.

Nevertheless, Albert Sambi Lokonga managed to impress with his performance in the loss.

Albert Sambi Lokonga praised by Orel Mangala

The Belgian has found his feet over the last few weeks. Lokonga has often received praise from his teammates for his form. And the 24-year-old was even compared with Thiago Alcantara in the early stages of the clash with the Blades.

The Gunners loanee was named as Luton’s player of the match in the loss. And after he took to Instagram following the game, he received further plaudits, with £30 million Lyon star Orel Mangala one of those to send a message…

Summer may be the perfect time for Arsenal to sell midfielder

It is going to take some effort for Lokonga to convince Mikel Arteta that he should get another chance in the Arsenal fold. And he may be wary of returning to the Emirates given how difficult he found things before his loan moves.

But the Belgian is doing a good job of showing that he definitely does belong at the highest level. Certainly, a number of teams higher up the Premier League table should be taking note of his displays.

It may be best for all parties if Arsenal find a buyer for Lokonga in the summer. His Luton spell is allowing him to show what he can bring to the table. And it is probably fair to say that his stock has rarely been higher since he made the move to North London a couple of years ago.