Crystal Palace open talks with Arsenal over move for super talented ball playing midfielder

The Belgian international joined Arsenal from Anderlecht 18 months ago, but he has struggled to establish himself in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.

This season, the Arsenal manager has relied heavily on the experienced duo of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, and he is set to sign Chelsea’s Jorginho to provide cover for his first-choice duo.

Jorginho’s arrival will limit Lokonga’s first-team opportunities even further, especially given the Gunners’ FA Cup exit following Friday’s fourth-round defeat to Manchester City.

Lokonga came on at the start of the second half after Partey was removed as a precaution due to a rib injury.

The Ghana international’s deputy, on the other hand, had a difficult evening and was given a dressing down on the pitch by Martin Odegaard before storming down the tunnel without acknowledging the away fans.

Arsenal turned down a bid from Monaco earlier this month, but they may be willing to let Lokonga leave and gain valuable Premier League experience at Selhurst Park.

Palace are currently 12th in the table, seven points above the relegation zone, and are managed by Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

According to Goal, the Eagles are hoping to bring Lokonga to south east London after their hopes of signing Conor Gallagher faded due to stiff competition from Newcastle and Everton.

Meanwhile, Arsenal expects to complete Jorginho’s transfer today after reaching an agreement with Chelsea for a fee of £12 million.

The former Napoli star will sign an 18-month deal with an option for another year.

Arteta wanted to sign Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, but the Seagulls are adamant the Ecuador international is not for sale and turned down two bids in excess of £60 million last week.