Arsenal ready to offload forgotten Wenger man
Tom Weber
- 22 Nov 2023 12:11 CST
- 3 min read
Arsenal are ready to offload forgotten man Mohamed Elney in January, according to a report.
The Egyptian made his return to the pitch earlier in the season after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Despite his return to full fitness, Elneny has not been able to win himself a regular place in Mikel Arteta's team, a common theme throughout the 31-year-old's career at the Emirates.
A remnant of the illustrious Arsene Wenger era and more specifically of the rather less illustrious end to said era, Elneny has been a Gunner for seven years, yet he only has 89 total appearances to his name. The midfielder was signed from Basel for €12.5 million in January 2016 but has always been more of a rotation player despite his popularity.
Out of contract in 2024, Arsenal are open to sanctioning a move for the Egyptian in January so as to not lose him for free in the summer. According to TEAMtalk, Elneny has attracted interest from several unnamed Saudi clubs, but whether he is keen to move remains to be seen.
'I want to finish my career there'
Elneny was already in a similar situation earlier in the year. His previous deal was due to expire in the summer, but Arsenal surprisingly handed him a one-year extension in February. This gesture, the player admitted, moved him to tears.
"It was one of the happiest days in my life," Elneny told Simon Collings of the Evening Standard after signing his new deal. "The way they spoke to me, the way the entire club was happy about this decision, they made me cry this day."
"Arsenal football club, they know I love them 100 per cent, so much. They know I don’t want to leave. I want to stay and finish my career there, 100 per cent."
