Turkish giants Galatasaray are reportedly in talks with Arsenal to sign out of favour midfielder Mohamed Elneny in January.
According to Fanatik, Turkish giants Galatasary are in talks with Arsenal for Egyptian international midfielder Mohamed Elneny.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract at the Emirates and could leave for free next summer. As of yet, there is no indication that Arsenal will put a new deal on the table. Elneny’s time with the club has been a mixed bag, largely bordering on the disappointing. He appears to have fallen down the pecking order and has made just two appearances for the club all season.
That is damning given the role he has as a senior in a pretty young squad. The Egyptian international who is due to play in the Africa Cup of Nations in January is now considering his future. With no offer from Arsenal forthcoming, he could move to Galatasaray.
Elneny will be familiar with the Turkish league, having spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Besiktas. He made 36 appearances for the club, scoring once and assisting four times. Galatasaray boss Faith Terim is keen to land the midfielder in January and has already informed the club’s board of his wish. According to the report, Galatasaray officials have reached out to Elneny and have been given a positive reaction.
With the player’s thoughts made clear, the Turks will have to work out a deal with Arsenal. Just how much the Gunners will seek for a player with less than a year left on his deal remains to be seen.
Elneny does not appear to have a future in North London and, unless something drastic happens, looks to be in the final stages of his career as a Gunner. Galatasaray’s interest is welcome, given that Arsenal could hope to recoup at least a fraction of the fee they paid for the 29-year-old’s services.
The Gunners have, in recent windows, reached agreements to terminate contracts with Willian, Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis. Whether Elneny will also join the list remains to be seen.
The 29-year-old has looked out of place in England and has largely struggled to make an impact. The slower nature of the game in Turkey should work to his advantage. He will find it easier to use his talents at Galatasaray and could even develop into a key player for them.
The player looks set to earn €2 million per year should he make a move. While the money is all well and good, it will also give him a chance to resurrect his career at the top level.
