Arsenal have kickstarted their summer transfer activity, having announced the departure of midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga - who joins Sevilla on loan with an option to buy.
The Spanish outfit will cover the entirety of Lokonga's wage during his loan spell, while the option to buy is reported to be worth £10m.
Arsenal have also negotiated a 25 per cent sell-on fee in the deal, which could see them make a good fee in the future, should the Belgian be sold by Sevilla - in the event that his loan is made permanent.
Italian side Fiorentina had prepared a higher bid for Lokonga but, according to David Ornstein, the 24-year-old had his heart set on Sevilla and only wanted that move.
His departure was widely expected given his struggles to break into the Arsenal team, despite impressing in his most recent loan spell away from the club.
Though the Gunners had been pushing for an obligation to buy to be included in the deal, having only an option to buy does open the door to a possible return to North London for Lokonga at the end of the coming season.
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His time at Arsenal
A promising debut season
Lokonga arrived at Arsenal in July 2021, in a £17m deal from Belgian side Anderlecht, who were then managed by new Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany.
At the time of his arrival, little was known about the then 21-year-old, but manager Mikel Arteta cited his maturity, despite his tender age, and intelligence as big factors behind his signing.
Lokonga enjoyed a very promising debut campaign, where he made 24 appearances - showing excellent signs at times despite his young age.
Crystal Palace loan
In the first half of the 2022/23 season, Lokonga made 15 appearances for Arsenal, before completing a deadline day loan move to Crystal Palace for the second half of the season.
He had a difficult time in South London, however, going on to make just nine appearances for the Eagles in the remainder of the Premier League season.
Lokonga failed to leave much of a mark on the 2022/23 season in his limited appearances on loan, and returned to Arsenal having made little progress - leaving him stuck at square one again.
Luton Town loan
Given his lack of development in the previous season, Arsenal made the decision to loan Lokonga out for the entirety of the 2023/24 season - this time with Premier League newcomers Luton Town.
The acquisition of the midfielder proved something of a coup for the newly promoted side, who many hoped could make a big difference in the Hatters' bid for Premier League survival.
Lokonga's chance at a fresh start got off to the worst possible start, however, as he suffered a hamstring injury after just two appearances - which saw him sidelined until December.
Lokonga hit the ground running following his return from injury, however, and quickly showed signs of why his signing had been so warmly received in the first place.
He played an instrumental role in Luton's 3-2 comeback win away to Sheffield United on Boxing Day, a huge result at the time for their hopes of survival.
He would go on to enjoy his best run of form since arriving in England in the months that followed, playing a fundamental role in midfield as Luton battled for Premier League survival until the final day of the season.
Though Luton ultimately succumbed to relegation, it proved to be a successful campaign on a personal level for Lokonga - who finished the season with four goal involvements in 17 Premier League appearances, as well as looking very comfortable in midfield against some of the league's best players.
With Arsenal known to be looking for a midfielder in the transfer window to play alongside Declan Rice, some had hoped to see Lokonga given a chance to impress, at least in pre-season - but such a chance was not afforded to him.
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The deal
Lokonga's move to Sevilla will, at least initially, be a loan deal, with the Spanish side covering all of his wages during his time there.
They will then have the option to buy Lokonga permanently next summer for £10m, which would also see the Gunners hold a 25 per cent sell-on clause, should the Belgian ever be sold by Sevilla.
Even with the loan fees that Lokonga has drawn in during spells with Crystal Palace and Luton, Arsenal will record a loss on the midfielder if his loan with Sevilla is made permanent - having paid £17m for him three years ago.
