Arsenal could reportedly trigger a one-year option in Ainsley Mailand-Niles' contract to aid their bid to offload the midfielder and Hector Bellerin before the transfer deadline.
The duo have both been deemed surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta, who has spent significantly on his squad this summer. The Spaniard is now trying to raise additional funds by dispensing with a number of players who have not featured in the early portion of the new campaign.
Maitland-Niles and Bellerin were both sent out on loan by the Gunners last term and are available to leave the Emirates for good before the September 1 deadline. However, Arsenal are struggling to find suitors for the unwanted duo - and the Gunners' technical director, Edu, may have to get creative if he is to ship them off the wage bill.
According to a new report from The Evening Standard, Maitland-Niles has been offered to a host of Premier League clubs, with Bournemouth and Southampton outlined as potential destinations.
And the Gunners are now considering extending the 24-year-old's contract by an additional year so that they could, potentially, sanction a season-long loan move this month with a view to offloading him on a permanent basis at a later date - a move which could appeal to Maitland-Niles' suitors.
But there is seemingly no resolution in sight when it comes to Bellerin. The Spanish right-back spent last season on loan at Real Betis and is desperate to return to the La Liga club on a permanent basis, but no agreement has been struck between the two sides.
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It is believed that Betis are unable to afford a deal to acquire the full-back permanently, with Arsenal seemingly unwilling to cancel Bellerin's current deal, which still has 12 months left to run.
Bellerin has attracted admiring glances from other clubs around Europe, including Barcelona, but despite Arsenal's efforts, the 27-year-old's future is still uncertain as the deadline continues to draw closer.
One player who is not in Arteta's plans and is now poised to leave the Emirates is club-record flop Nicolas Pepe, who is closing in on a season-long loan switch to Nice.
The Ivorian winger has struggled to live up to expectations at Arsenal since he joined the club for a whopping £72million pound from Lille back in 2019. But he will be given the chance to kickstart his career in France with the Ligue 1 outfit, who have agreed terms on a straight 12-month loan deal with no obligation to buy.
