Arsenal have announced the departure of midfielder Tim Akinola to Qatari outfit Al Bidda on a permanent deal.

The 21-year-old spent time in the Lincoln City and Huddersfield Town academies before joining Arsenal in 2020, but his deal was due to expire at the end of the season.

While on the books in North London, Akinola made 43 appearances for the Gunners' Under-21 team, scoring one goal and setting up two more across all competitions.

However, the Nigerian-born lynchpin never made a first-team matchday squad under Mikel Arteta, and he has bid farewell to the Emirates after three years to head for the Middle East.

Akinola's Arsenal spell also saw him loaned out to Dundee United and Chesterfield, but he made just one appearance for the former team before his spell was cut short due to injury.

Akinola was a regular for Chesterfield last season, playing 31 times to help the National League side reach the playoff final, which they lost on penalties to Notts County.

The 21-year-old follows fellow academy product Marcelo Flores out of the Arsenal exit door after the Mexico international joined Tigres in a £2m deal. body check tags ::