Arsenal news: Agreement expected for 30-year-old; personal terms done

Bernd Leno will lead Arsenal's summer clear out, with the German goalkeeper close to leaving the club. Mikel Arteta confirmed recently that the focus will be on trimming the squad, with a number of fringe players expected to leave in the coming weeks.

The Germany international was demoted to second choice following the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale last summer. Leno is keen to play regular football, especially with this being a World Cup year. He will now be allowed to leave after the Gunners signed USA international Matt Turner.

Fulham are leading the chase for Leno with an agreement expected in the coming days. The east London club were reluctant to meet Arsenal's £10 million valuation, but have been aided by the Gunners dropping their asking price to £8 million.

According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, the move is progressing well after positive talks between the two clubs. Talks had broken down after a disagreement with the valuation, but Arsenal's willingness to negotiate is expected to bring the deal to fruition.

Leno has already discussed personal terms with Fulham, with a verbal agreement already in place. The 30-year-old will sign a three-year deal until the summer of 2025 with an option to extend for a further year. The newly-promoted side are keen to make the German their number one between the sticks for the 2022-23 campaign.

However, according to The Sun, Fulham could face a late obstacle in the form of Leicester City. The Foxes are said to have entered the race in the final stages after being informed of Kasper Schmeichel's decision to leave the club this summer following interest from Ligue 1 side Nice.

It remains to be seen if Leno will renege on his agreement with Fulham to consider the 2016 Premier League champions' offer. Leicester will be desperate to being in a quality replacement for the long serving Dane, and Leno has proved he can perform at a high level.

Leno is expected to be the first of many departures Arteta will oversee this summer. The likes of Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson and Pablo Mari are also expected to leave the club before transfer Deadline Day on Aug. 31.