Arsenal reportedly turned down offers for Mohamed Elneny, including from Newcastle United, in the January transfer window.
Speaking on Mega 92.7 FM (h/t Sport Witness), Mohamed Elneny’s agent Alan Nazmy has revealed that the midfielder had the opportunity to leave Arsenal in the January window, only for Mikel Arteta to turn down any approaches from clubs. Newcastle United were among the teams interested in the Egyptian, who stayed put at the Emirates.
Mohamed Elneny is just back from the African Cup of Nations heartbreak after his Egypt side lost to Senegal in the final on penalties. The midfielder played a crucial role in his national team’s journey in the competition.
As for the January transfer window, there was interest in Elneny’s services from clubs in the Premier League, Turkey, and the Middle East. Arsenal turned down all approaches for the Egyptian, as Mikel Arteta wanted to keep him at the club to avoid the risk of the Gunners running short of options in midfield.
Newcastle United were reportedly keen on Elneny before the window, and based on his agent’s comments, the Magpies seem to have made an offer. The Egyptian has six months left on his deal, and had Arsenal accepted the proposal from the Magpies, the north London side may have recouped a reasonable fee.
Newcastle United were keen on bringing in a midfielder in the January transfer window and ended up signing Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon in a huge move. As for their pursuit of Elneny, Arteta might have weighed up his options and decided against sanctioning a sale. Had he sold the Egyptian, Arsenal would have been left with Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga as their only senior midfielders.
Elneny has barely featured this season, playing around 422 minutes across ten appearances in all competitions. The Gunners might have been open to letting him go had they brought in reinforcements in the position.
However, their inability to sign players in January may have resulted in the midfielder staying put. The Gunners came close to signing Arthur Melo from Juventus, only for the Italian side’s demands to derail the move.
Elneny’s agent Alan Nazmy has also suggested there were offers from Turkish sides and the Middle East. However, he confirmed his client’s desire to stay in Europe for the foreseeable future.
Elneny has been a steady player for Arsenal since signing for the club from FC Basel. While Arteta has no problems relying on him in certain games, he remains behind the other three midfielders in the pecking order. He could yet make a few more appearances before the season ends, after which he is likely to leave on a free transfer in the summer.
