Arsenal will reportedly only hand over £20m up front for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, with the rest to be paid in instalments.
The Gunners are believed to have reached an agreement with the French side to sign Pepe for a club-record fee of £72m.
News of the Ivorian winger's imminent switch to the Emirates Stadium has come as a surprise as Unai Emery was told he has limited funds to work with this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Lille are happy for the North London outfit to pay off the large sum over the next five years.
Arsenal have seen off competition from Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United for Pepe's signature, with the 24-year-old expected to become their fourth signing of the summer before the end of the week.
Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney is also thought to be on Emery's radar.
