Arsenal make offer for ‘ideal reinforcement’ – Needs to be a little higher, transfer ‘unavoidable’

Arsenal have seen an offer of €15m plus bonuses for midfielder Sami Lokonga rejected by Anderlecht.

That’s according to Het Laatste Nieuws, who say the Belgian side want at least €20m before sanctioning a deal for the player.

The newspaper states that Lokonga has made it clear he wants his future sorted as soon as possible and would like a move to a bigger club.

Anderlecht are ‘willing to cooperate’ but need the right financial conditions to do so, and those figures were not there in Arsenal’s first bid.

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According to the newspaper’s English sources, the Gunners offer ‘more than €15m’ plus bonuses for the midfielder, but it is unclear how that was structured between the basic fee and bonuses.

It was rejected anyway as Anderlecht are dreaming of a guaranteed sum of at least €20m, a fee they believe they can get as Arsenal are not the only interested party.

There is also interest from Germany and France and their belief is that if it comes to a fight, Lokonga’s price will increase.

Anderlecht know that a transfer is ‘unavoidable’ as Lokonga is one of the most promising youngsters in Belgium, but if Arsenal want him, they will need to sit down with the Belgian side to find an agreement.

The Gunners are keen, though, with Arsenal’s scouts seeing Lokonga ‘as an ideal reinforcement’ and Mikel Arteta wanting to work with him.