Willian wasn’t involved in training with Arsenal on Thursday, after accepting Corinthians’ offer to join them – with some financial details outstanding.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Willian of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on October 04, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Willian of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on October 04, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth – Pool/Getty Images)

Despite playing no part in Arsenal’s League Cup win over West Bromwich Albion in midweek, Willian wasn’t in training with the squad on Thursday.

According to Goal in Brazil, Willian has finally accepted a summer transfer to Corinthians. He was initially hoping to stay in Europe, but he has no offers at the moment.

The deal to join Corinthians isn’t done yet. Willian’s salary is a major obstacle to overcome, and he’ll have to either reduce it or convince Arsenal to pay part of it if he wants to complete the transfer.

Goal’s report claims that Corinthians can only pay around a quarter of what Willian currently earns at Arsenal, if that. So unless the Gunners want to keep paying 75% of his salary, they’ll need to convince him to take a cut.

In the end, it will probably be a mixture of both, with Willian earning less but Arsenal still paying something to get him off the squad list.

CBS Sports reported earlier this week that there had been rapid progress in negotiations for Willian to complete a free transfer from Arsenal to Corinthians. It looks like things are heading for a positive conclusion, but with some compromises still to be made.