As reported by 90min, Mohamed Elneny is willing to sign a new contract with Arsenal. The Egyptian confessed that he would happily sign a new contract with the Gunners even if it meant him sitting on the sidelines and with no guarantee of regular first-team football.
Elneny’s deal is set to expire at the end of this season and no contract talks have taken place yet. Meanwhile, Arsenal are looking to bolster their midfield this summer with at least one new signing and a plethora of players have been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium including Marcel Sabitzer, Florian Grillitsch, Douglas Luiz, Ruben Neves, etc.
So far, the Egypt international has only had limited opportunities to play for the Gunners this season. Regardless, he has racked up his stats with impressive numbers, especially in back-to-back games against Chelsea and Manchester United last week.
Mohamed Elneny will complete six years at Arsenal, having joined the club in the summer of 2016 from Basel. The 29-year-old has won an FA Cup and two Community Shields. Despite that, he has never been able to establish himself as a first-team player. The Egyptian has only made nine Premier League appearances so far this season (stats via Transfermarkt).
After the impressive 4-2 win against Thomas Tuchel’s side, the midfielder was lauded with praises from boss Mikel Arteta. The Spanish manager spoke very highly about the player during the pre-match press conference ahead of the crucial fixture with United:
“I have always said that for me he’s one of the most important players in the squad.”
“He’s a phenomenal person and a great footballer that sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”
When asked about Elneny’s contract situation, Arteta said:
“We’re going to have a conversation at the end of the season to see what we do but I’m really happy with him.”
“It’s a tough balance because he’s in a period in his career where he’s looking to extend his football life but at the same time, he could be important to the team for the last part of the season.”
Regardless of any speculations, it seems that Mohamed Elneny is keen on staying at Arsenal beyond this season. He is under no illusion regarding his standing in the team and is willing to sign a new contract with the North London side even if they offer him only a backup role. When asked if he would sign an extension to sit on the sidelines, he said:
“Of course.”
“I always love a challenge and give 100% all the time. I don’t decide who plays but I keep going in training to show how good I am and to make him play me.”
“If I don’t play I keep going until I get my chance. If Arsenal say ‘we want you’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years. I love this club.”
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Mohamed Elneny was tipped to leave Arsenal and make a move to Turkey in January after agreeing to mutually terminate his contract. However, the Egyptian ended up staying in the Emirates at Arteta’s request. The manager wanted him to stay to act as a cover for Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
Nevertheless, the decision to persuade Elneny to stay till the end of the season paid off quite well. Given Xhaka’s uncertainties and Partey’s injury problems, Arteta certainly made the correct decision. Arsenal currently stand fourth in the Premier League but are only two points above close rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. Next up for them are West Ham on Sunday..
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