Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will not be given a new contract by the club and will leave north London on a free transfer in 2019.
The England international is currently out of action after suffering a serious ankle injury during Arsenal's recent Europa League group stage match against Portuguese giants Sporting CP.
It was feared that Welbeck could be ruled out until the end of the season, although it is now believed that his rehabilitation will be completed by April.
Regardless of Welbeck's impact in the back end of the season, the Times claim that the 28-year-old will not be rewarded with a new contract as Arsenal looks to free up some space within their squad for new signings and promising youth players.
In previous years under Arsène Wenger, the club has been known to offer injured players a new deal as an incentive during their recovery, but new chiefs Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham have decided against giving Welbeck a new deal.
Promising academy graduates Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah look set to be the biggest beneficiaries from the decision as first team opportunities will only increase with a smaller squad.
Transfer targets like Ousmane Dembélé, Cengiz Ünder and Nicolas Pépé will also be encouraged by the easier path into Unai Emery's starting lineup.
News of Welbeck's imminent departure will strike a chord with Arsenal fans even though the former Manchester United striker has never hit the ground running at the Emirates, but this cutthroat approach to transfers is exactly what supporters have been crying out for in north London.
Source :
90min
