Brighton plotting surprise move for Arsenal midfielder as Moises Caicedo replacement: Reports
Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly plotting a move for Arsenal's Albert Sambi Lokonga as a replacement for Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuador international left the Amex earlier this month to join Chelsea for a British-record fee of £115 million. Since then, the Seagulls have been linked with a move for LOSC Lille Metropole midfielder Carlos Baleba.
According to Fabrizio Romano (h/t Get French Football News), Brighton have submitted an offer of €25 million plus add-ons for the 19-year-old Cameroonian. However, the English club are yet to find any success due to Les Dogues holding out for €30 million.
Sambi Lokonga has emerged as an alternative to Baleba. He was signed by Arsenal from RSC Anderlecht in 2019 for €17.5 million but has since failed to live up to expectations.
The Belgian midfielder was loaned out to Crystal Palace for six months in January and has just 14 league starts for the Gunners to his name. He is yet to be named in any Arsenal matchday squad this season and it is clear that he isn't in Mikel Arteta's plans.
The one-cap Belgium international still has three years left on his contract at the Emirates. A move to Brighton could rekindle the 23-year-old's career considering they have an opening in their midfield for a new signing after Caicedo's departure.
Mikel Arteta gives verdict on Arsenal's penalty-taker situation after Crystal Palace win
Bukayo Saka has been Arsenal's first-choice penalty taker in recent months. But the England international was not on spot-kick duty in his team's league game against Crystal Palace on 21 August.
Instead, captain Martin Odegaard stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 54th minute of the game. The Norwegian playmaker made no mistake and his goal proved to be enough to hand his team all three points at Selhurst Park.
Odegaard taking the penalty raised questions if he was the club's go-to man for spot-kicks now. Mikel Arteta said after the game, via the club's official website:
"I have no clue [if Odegaard is the club's new penalty taker], it’s about leadership of players, and if they felt it was the right thing to do, for me I’m fine. They have to make those decisions on the pitch. I was surprised like everybody else, but he scored the goal which is the important thing and we won the game."
Saka, 21, has taken six penalties for Arsenal in regulation time, scoring five times. The skipper, Odegaard, has only ever taken one spot-kick for the Gunners in regulation time, which came in the win against Crystal Palace this weekend.