Arsenal winger Willian is in talks over a move away from the club this summer, with Brazilian side Corinthians leading the charge to sign him.
Arsenal handed the 33-year-old an enormous three-year contract last summer to land him on a free transfer from Chelsea, but after his debut season yielded just one goal in 37 appearances, they are desperate to cut ties and avoid paying him for the rest of his deal.
Willian has been told he is free to leave Arsenal this summer, and Fabrizio Romano notes that Corinthians have reached out to him with a formal offer.
While it is thought that Willian's preference would be to stay in Europe, he is now believed to be seriously considering a return to his homeland, where Corinthians are waiting to snap him up on a free transfer.
While a final agreement has yet to be reached, the Daily Mail note that talks between Willian and Corinthians are at an 'advanced stage', while The Telegraph also expect the deal to go through soon.
For Arsenal, all that matters is getting rid of his £190,000-a-week wages. They are ready to let Willian walk on a free transfer just to cut ties with the ageing Brazilian but are still facing the prospect of a hefty pay-off to convince him to join Corinthians, whose proposal will not include a salary anywhere near his current one.
On top of ridding themselves of Willian, Arsenal are also planning to bid farewell to Lucas Torreira on Tuesday. The Uruguayan is expected in Italy to seal a season-long loan to Fiorentina which will earn Arsenal a cool £1m in fees.
Torreira's departure could kick-start a wave of exits from Arsenal, with Willian, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Hector Bellerin and Alex Runarsson among those keen to seal moves away from the Emirates soon.
As revealed by 90min earlier this month, Arsenal are also prepared to listen to offers for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has clashed with Arteta behind the scenes and would not be blocked from leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
Source : 90min