Mikel Arteta's true persona behind closed doors as Arsenal outcast reveals all

Albert Sambi Lokonga described Mikel Arteta as a “very intense” individual while admitting he’s learnt more from the Arsenal boss than any manager in his career. The one-time Belgium international made the £17million move to the Emirates in 2021 on the back of an impressive four-year stint at boyhood club Anderlecht.

Despite being touted as a highly-rated talent, the 24-year-old struggled to break into the Gunners’ first-team and following his debut campaign at the club where he made 19 appearances, he’s since been sent out on loan to three different clubs. Temporary stints to Crystal Palace and Luton Town preceded his current stay at Sevilla with the La Liga having the option to buy the midfielder for a fee of around £10million (€12million).

Lokonga has so far made three appearances for the Spanish side and has struggled with a hamstring injury but made his return in their 1-0 win over Real Betis prior to the latest international break.

While Lokonga’s future at Arsenal looks bleak, the Liege native was wholly complimentary of Arteta and the Spaniard’s methods during an interview with Relevo. Giving an inside look into the Gunners boss, Lokongo described his personality by saying: “He’s very, very intense. And very genuine too.”

He said Arteta’s demanding nature is a required aspect of his character considering he manages a club like Arsenal that thrives on winning while paying tribute to the teaching he had underneath him. “He’s the one I’ve worked with the most, and also learned from,” Lokonga said.

“He’s always there if you want to talk, but when you’re on the pitch, he is very demanding. But that’s the only way to manage a team like Arsenal. There’s a lot of pressure. People are used to winning. And it’s normal. It’s Arsenal.”

Having gone from a regular at Anderlecht to a bit-part player for Arsenal, that stark transition played on Lokonga’s mind who revealed just how difficult it was to get through that period of his career. “It was very difficult because all I wanted was to play. I think it was one of the most challenging moments of my career, although I learned a lot,” he admitted.

“Thanks to all that, I’m here today,” as he added the importance of learning from every experience, good and bad. “You need to learn from that. Absorb everything you can and move forward. Don’t stay behind. And that’s what I’m doing.”

Lokonga played 39 games in all competitions for Arsenal, who suffered a damaging defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday evening. William Saliba’s first-half red card saw the Gunners play the entire second period with 10 men, and they were eventually broken down, losing 2-0 on the south coast.