Schalke are putting together a package to re-sign Sead Kolasinac from Arsenal three years after he left.
Discussions between the Gunners and the Bundesliga outfit are thought to have already taken place.
Arsenal are willing to move the Bosnian on with Mikel Arteta under instructions to cut the club's wage bill.
The Spaniard is set to undergo a squad overhaul in what will be his first summer at the helm having taken charge in December.
Arteta has already delivered the FA Cup and optimism is growing that he can restore the club to the success of yesteryear.
But he will need to be ruthless with who he wants to keep and who he wants to axe in north London.
Kolasinac is keen to return to Germany, where he spent his entire professional career, for "private reasons".
Arsenal have several options on the flanks defensively with the likes of Kieran Tierney, Hector Bellerin and Cedric Soares among them.
Schalke's finances have been hit heavily by the coronavirus pandemic but they are still confident of completing a deal for the defender, reports Sky Germany.
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The German club endured a terrible season and are without a win since January having failed to secure the three points in their final 16 games.
They ended the season in 12th having lost nine of their final 12 games.
Kolasinac has made 77 Premier League outings for the Gunners, scoring twice and provided 13 assists.
But he and team-mate Mesut Ozil were the subject of a an attack by knife-wielding carjackers, before later confronting the individuals.
A video of the attack went viral online in which Kolasinac was seen stepping out of Ozil's car and attacking the individual, who quickly fled from the scene.
