Arsenal have taken the first step in securing their out of contract trio, with Mohamed Elneny signing a new deal at The Emirates.
Elneny; along with strikers Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette were all set to become free agents at the end of the recently concluded campaign. But while the futures of the two forwards remain up in the air, the Egyptian international has now secured his future.
Signed by Arsene Wenger in January 2016, Elneny was already one of the longest serving members in a youthful Gunners squad and his stint in North London will now go on. Having spent much of the season as a fringe member of Mikel Arteta’s squad, the combative midfielder came to the fore in the closing weeks of the campaign, following an injury to Thomas Partey.
In fact, Elneny played 90 minutes in each of Arsenal ’s last seven Premier League games, which saw them ultimately come up agonisingly short in their bid for a place in the Champions League. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old proved his worth to Arteta, putting a string of impressive performances alongside Granit Xhaka.
And like Xhaka, just months after his departure looked inevitable, he has now been rewarded with an extended contract. Elneny has revealed he wants to end his career with Arsenal and Arteta is more than happy to keep him part of the dressing room.
The Gunners boss said: “Mo is a really important part of the team. He brings endless energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the team and is loved by everyone. He's an important player for us on and off the pitch, a real role model to our younger players and I'm delighted he's staying."
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A successful end to negotiations with Elneny mark the opening gambit of what promises to be a pivotal summer in Arteta’s tenure as Arsenal boss. Having missed out on the top four, the Spaniard is adamant he will take his team to the “next level” with technical director Edu tasked with finishing the type of players to continue their upward trajectory.
“Mo has an incredible mentality which is so important for our squad,” Edu told the club’s official website. “He helps the team as much as he can every day. We are all very happy to have him with us as we look to build on what has been achieved this season."
Arteta is the third permanent manager Elneny has played under during his time in English football, after spending time with Wenger and Unai Emery and he’s paid tribute to his current boss for the way he has treated him. On signing his new contract, he recalled a conversation he held with Arteta., where it was made clear just how important he will be moving forward.
Elneny explained: “I needed to hear what he's thinking about me and I always say to him, 'Mikel, I really appreciate what you've done for me.'
“Because with Mikel I play more than I was before. I said to him, 'Mikel, if you say to me that you want me to stay or you want me to leave, I'm going to do whatever you want.' Then the way he spoke about me is something that really makes me emotional.
“It was really good for me to hear it from Mikel, about the way I play and the way I'm happy with him and being positive. It's incredible for me to feel this way from Mikel, from the club and from Edu. I'm really happy.”
