Arsenal have reportedly rejected a bid from Galatasaray for midfielder Mohamed Elneny before the closure of the Turkish transfer window.

According to a report from Sky Sports, Galatasaray approached Arsenal this week to enquire about the prospect of acquiring Mohamed Elneny but were faced with rejection as the Gunners see him as part of Mikel Arteta’s plans for the ongoing season.

Elneny was signed by Arsenal back in 2016 for a reported £11.25 million fee from Swiss outfit Basel. He has since made 132 appearances, netted five goals and registered eight assists. He was always seen as a bit-part squad player throughout his tenure at the North London club.

Elneny was expected to be sold by former Gunners boss Unai Emery, who adjudged him as surplus to requirements among his midfield options. He was even sent out on a season-long loan spell at Turkish outfit Besiktas in 2019/20. Surprisingly Elneny came back in the fold of the Arsenal first-team setup after impressing the new head coach Mikel Arteta in the preseason.

Last campaign, the Egyptian midfielder made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring thrice in the process. He even won the club’s Goal of the Season award for his fantastic strike in the UEFA Europa League against Dundalk.

An Arsenal exit looms for Elneny? (Photo by Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)
An Arsenal exit looms for Elneny? (Photo by Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

Galatasaray aim to reclaim their status as top dogs in Turkish football again by putting up a strong challenge for the Super Lig title. They are scouting widely for a midfielder with Premier League experience and were also linked with Leicester’s Nampalys Mendy.

If Elneny does complete a move, then he will be joining the company of several familiar Premier League faces in the likes of former Newcastle right-back DeAndre Yedlin, ex-Crystal Palace left-back Patrick van Aanholt, former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel, and ex-West Brom forward Mbaye Diagne.

The 79-capped Egypt international is far from a key player at the Emirates. With his contract expiring next year, it becomes a no-brainer for Arsenal to move him on to recoup some of the amount they paid for the player. The Gunners already have depth in the midfield department with the arrival of Albert Sambi Lokonga as well as Ainsley Maitland-Niles staying, which provides Arteta with enough options at his disposal for the season.

Arsenal had a quite hectic summer transfer window bringing in six players for a combined transfer fee around the £150 million mark. While it remains whether those signings will work out or not, their most apparent issue has been their inability to sell their outcasts permanently.

They have only offloaded Joe Willock while Reiss Nelson, William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi have been sent out on loan. They should avoid making the same mistake and let get one of their fringe players in Elneny. With a few more hours left in the Turkish transfer window, it remains to be seen if a move goes through.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.