Why Sambi Lokonga has won over Vieira and Crystal Palace already

Stuart Telford

• 11 Feb 2023 09:57 CST
• 3 min read

Albert Sambi Lokonga's Crystal Palace career is only one game old, but the Arsenal-owned youngster has already impressed former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira.

Sambi Lokonga joined Palace on loan from Arsenal during the January transfer window with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka blocking his path to first-team football at the Emirates, and made his debut in last Saturday's 2-1 loss at Manchester United.

The 23-year-old Belgium international entered the fray for the final 18 minutes at Old Trafford, and helped the Eagles reduce the arrears. Vieira seems likely to trust him with a start soon.

READ: Arsenal reject €8m Sambi Lokonga bid

"We can give game time to these young players but at the same time they need to show that they deserve it and Sambi's talented, a really good, exciting player," he told reporters ahead of Saturday's meeting with Brighton, which Sambi Lokonga was also named among the subs for.

Vieira: 'no doubt about his attitude'

"He'll work well with us and he'll help this club. The body language and the behaviour of the player is what we look at before we sign a player. That's massive for us and there's no doubt about his attitude."

There are doubts about Sambi Lokinga's Arsenal future, however. As well as Partey and Xhaka, Mohamed Elneney is ahead of him in the pecking order when fit, and the Gunners have been linked with summer moves for central midfielders Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.

READ: How Arsenal would line up with Declan Rice

Sambi Lokonga's loan runs until the end of the season, and there is no permanent purchase option on the player who cost Arsenal €17.5 million when he joined from Anderlecht in the summer of 2021.

He has racked up 39 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners despite the competition in his position, albeit often from the bench, and has completed 91 per cent of his passes and won one aerial challenge per game in English football so far.