Arsenal and Newcastle have reached an agreement over the transfer of Joe Willock, football.london understands.
The final fee is expected to reach £25million inclusive of add-ons, while football.london has learned that a sell-on clause will also be inserted into the deal.
Willock was absent from the Arsenal squad which faced Tottenham in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the new Premier League season on Sunday afternoon.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta said after the game that he would explain the reasoning for Willock's absence in due course, although it's understood a breakthrough in talks within the last 24 hours prompted the Spaniard to leave the England midfielder out of the squad.
Arteta remains keen on strengthening key areas before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, with a back-up goalkeeper and creative midfielder among the players being chased over the coming weeks.
"What we have, we have to maximise," said Arteta when asked about signing new players.
"Worrying about things that we don’t have at the moment there is no point. "My energy is all in the players that we have at the moment, to make them play better, to be a better threat and win matches."
Leicester midfielder James Maddison has already been the subject of a proposal, with fringe players, including Willock, mentioned in a potential deal.
football.london has been told that negotiations are 'very slow' and 'like a game of chess' but Maddison is reportedly keen on a move to north London.
The major sticking point for Arsenal however, is Leicester's demands of over £60million for the former Norwich and Coventry midfielder.
Martin Ødegaard is still an option for Arsenal if they fail to get Maddison this summer, with Real Madrid open to letting the Norway captain leave for the right price.
