Mohamed Elneny open to signing new Arsenal contract

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is open to extending his stay with the north London club.

Midfielder Mohamed Elneny is open to signing a new contract with Arsenal that would extend his stay with the club beyond the ongoing season. Elneny’s current deal with the Gunners runs down in June this year, and there have been no concrete reports of a contract extension being offered.

The Egyptian impressed in Arsenal’s recent high-profile wins over Chelsea and Manchester United, which have fuelled reports of a possible extension being offered to the 29-year-old. The Gunners are currently involved in a top-four race with rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

When asked about his future following the win over Manchester United, Elneny expressed readiness to prolong his stay with Arsenal should they come up with an offer. He confirmed that he is waiting for the Gunners to take a decision on his future.

“In the three games we lost, we dominated them all and deserved to win. The boss just said that we have to believe in what we do and don’t change anything because we were playing well, even though we were losing. After the Chelsea game, we saw that the way we believed in each other helps us to win,” Elneny said, as quoted by the Mirror.

“I gave everything in training to be in the starting XI every game – I got my chance at Chelsea, I think I did well and, most important, we won the last two games. It’s been a long wait for me, but you have to believe and 100 per cent I want to get Arsenal into the top four.

“This is my club for the last six years. They are my family and I will give everything to them until the last minute. I always love a challenge – I don’t decide who plays, but I keep going in training to show how good I am and to make him (manager Mikel Arteta) play me.

“And if Arsenal say, ‘We want you’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years, I love this club. The contract and stuff, I’m just waiting for the club to decide what they want.”

Elneny moved to Arsenal in January 2016, joining from Switzerland side FC Basel in a €12.5 million move. He couldn’t cement a spot in the Gunners midfield and was also sent on a year-long loan to Besiktas in 2019. In all, the 29-year-old has made 142 appearances for Arsenal, scoring five and assisting 10 goals. Whether he is rewarded with a new deal by the north London club remains to be seen.