The Qatari side is set to unveil Tim Akinola as their new midfield signing.

Tim Akinola has signed a new three-year contract with the Qatari team Al Bidda which plays in the second division of the EXPO stars league.

Arsenal had given the green light earlier this week with Arteta excluding the youngster from future squad announcements.

“We thank Tim for his contribution to the club and wish him all the best with Al Bidda,” read a statement from Arsenal.

Akinola has already played for the side, scoring for them twice in a cup match earlier this month. 

The 2001-born midfielder spent last season on loan at National League side Chesterfield. Akinola previously held a loan spell at Dundee United as well. His time on the Scottish side was cut short due to an injury that required surgery.

Tim Akinola was born in Nigeria but mostly grew up in England. First starting out as an academy player with Lincoln City, Akinola made his switch to Arsenal’s youth setup from Huddersfield Town. Akinola never played for the Arsenal senior team but made 43 appearances for the U21/U23 side over a stretch of three seasons. In his professional career in England, he didn’t manage to score any goals.

Now he returns to Qatar in a bid that will help his club gain promotion. Al-Bidda SC is a fairly new club, having been formed in 2015 and yet to have featured in the top flight of Qatari football.

The Qatari transfer window remains open for another week as new signings from Europe’s top clubs join the country. Earlier this week, Veratti and Coutinho made their trip to the capital. They were preceded by Lyanco and Diallo.