Empoli sign Ismael Bennacer permanently as Celtic and Leeds battle for Chuba Akpom

Arsene Wenger's wish to trim the Arsenal squad has hit overdrive since the start of the week with a number of players expected to depart in the coming days.

The French coach confirmed after the Gunners' 1-0 loss to Stoke City on Saturday (19 August) that there will be departures before any further incomings and the cull has begun in earnest. Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall were the latest to leave the club when the duo joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan.

Ismael Bennacer, Chuba Akpom and Jon Toral are the next three players nearing the exit doors at the Emirates Stadium. The former has left the club on a permanent transfer and Akpom could join him in leaving the club on a permanent basis, while Toral will be leaving on season-long loan.

Italian side Empoli have confirmed the permanent signing of Bennacer, with the midfielder having agreed a four-year deal with the Serie B side. The 19-year-old midfielder joined Arsenal in 2015 and spent the second-half of last season on loan at French outfit Tours. He failed to break into the first-team in north London and despite Wenger speaking highly about the midfielder in January, he has been allowed to leave on a permanent basis.

Akpom is also linked with a permanent move away after falling down the pecking order at Arsenal. The striker spent the second-half of last season on loan at Brighton and has previously played for Hull City and Nottingham Forest.

He has made a total of 10 appearances for the senior squad and is currently behind a number of players in the pecking order, and is unlikely to get any game time this season. According to the Mirror, Scottish outfit Celtic and Championship side Leeds United are vying for his signature.

Brendan Rodgers is looking to sign a forward to challenge his current first choice Moussa Dembele, while Leeds are looking for a replacement for Chris Wood, who has completed his move to Burnley. Akpom is said to be keen to leave the Emirates this summer and he is keen to play first-team football on a regular basis.

Toral, on the other hand, will leave Arsenal on a temporary basis, with ESPN reporting that Hull are close to finalising a move for the Spanish midfielder. The 22-year-old joined Arsenal in 2014 but has failed to break into the first-team despite showing early promise.

The current loan will be the former Spain Under-17 international's fifth move in three years having spent time with Brentford, Birmingham, Granada and most recently with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership last season. He impressed during most of his loan spells and will hope that he can reach similar levels at the KCOM Stadium.

The aforementioned trio are not going to be the final departures as there are a number of players primed for moves away from Arsenal this summer. Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy, Lucas Perez and Joel Campbell are among the players Wenger has deemed surplus in his first-team and is keen to offload before thinking of making further additions.