Arsenal have confirmed midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has joined Sevilla on a season long loan move.

The 24-year-old Belgian international is accustomed to loan spells now, having spent much of the last two seasons away from the Emirates after signing for the Gunners for £17million in 2021.

Lokonga made 39 appearances in all competitions under Arteta, featuring in the first 12 out of 13 of Arsenal's Premier League games in the 2021/22 season. 

Arteta will hope that a spell in Spain will help the Belgian grow, in what Arsenal described as the 'next step' in Lokonga's career. 

Sevilla have confirmed they have an option to buy Lokonga, reportedly for around £10million, once the loan spell ends. Arsenal are said to have a 25 per cent sell-on clause if Sevilla make the move permanent. 

Sambi Lokonga has joined Sevilla on loan, his third spell away from Arsenal in as many seasons

This will be Lokonga's third loan spell in as many seasons having previously been sent out to Crystal Palace and Luton Town.

After a good start to life in London, his game time evaporated under Arteta.

Lokonga joined Palace on a short term loan on transfer deadline day 2023, making nine appearances as he helped to keep the south Londoners up. 

Last season he plied his trade for newly promoted Luton Town after joining the Hatters on deadline day. 

There he was praised for his performances despite Luton's eventual relegation, including by the unlikely figure of Jurgen Klopp. 

'Lokonga, when you see him playing you think, oh, he's an Arsenal player and they loaned him? Interesting,' Klopp said.

The former Anderlecht man joins a Sevilla side who have slipped down La Liga's table in recent seasons, coming 14th last year as financial troubles and an ownership fight have hit the club.

‘I'm grateful for the opportunity I've been given to play here,’ Lokonga said.

'Today is finally the day and I hope to stay for a long time because I have a lot to prove. Klopp had good words and I'm grateful.

I knew it was going to be a great day, I have more experience and I am a better player and a better person.

‘Everyone knows that Sevilla has a great history. I hope to be able to win a lot at this club. For me the most convincing thing is the opportunity to win again and be part of the team writing its history.’

Perhaps the most famous, or infamous, moment of Lokonga's time at Arsenal came off the field.

With Amazon Prime's cameras filming for the All Or Nothing sports documentary series for Arsenal's 2021/22 season, Lokonga was caught making a comment that some viewed as a complaint about his lack of game-time to teammates.

Emile Smith-Rowe suggested to Lokonga that he had changed since joining Arsenal and was unhappier. 

Lokonga replied: 'I was happy because I was playing.' 

Lokonga later told The Athletic: 'I would still have the same answer now. A player wants to be on the pitch, and if he's not playing, he is not happy.

'The other thing was, me and Eddie [Nketiah], we are really, really close. If you look at it back, you can see I was even laughing at the end.

He added: 'To have a manager that backs you up, that gives you confidence, that trusts you…That's what a player wishes for and what a player needs to perform at his best.'

Lokonga will hope for more game-time and confidence under his new Sevilla coach Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta, the former Barcelona B and Las Palmas head coach.