Mohamed Elneny has signed a new Arsenal contract as the Gunners show faith in the Egyptian midfielder.
Elneny has been at the Emirates since 2016 and is one of the longest-serving squad members.
He is no longer a regular at the club and often only plays when other midfielders ahead of him on the pecking order are unfit.
However, the Egyptian is a popular figure in the dressing room and continues to show that he is one of the top professionals at the club now.
He signed a new deal in the summer but has had an injury-ravaged season, yet Arsenal has handed him another one-year extension, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Elneny is one of the most popular players in the Arsenal dressing room and leads by example, which is why everyone loves him.
Every dressing room needs experienced players who have been at the club for a long time, so the Egyptian deserves to keep his place in the squad.
If he maintains his good reputation, he might even become a member of staff at the Emirates at the end of his playing career.
Last season, he hit top form towards the end of the campaign and it would be great if that happens again when he returns from injury.
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I must say am really disappointed by this, for me Elneny didn’t deserve the extension.
I think our middle field does need some shaking up, it’s aging and honestly we need to be bringing in some young top class players
Defensive Middlefield has been our weakest position for some time now, apart from Partey who’s aging and has injury issues. The rest have yet to prove themselves there, Xhaka, Lakonga tried and failed. Jorginho is yet to prove himself there, still early.
Elneny is just bang average, UCL football is coming. All we needed to do was to let him go and bring world class talent there
I like elneny and I think he’s a decent enough player but I don’t understand this contract (if it’s true). With jorginho signing (experienced head) I don’t see the benefit of keeping elneny – realistically, he’s not going to suddenly become a first teamer next season and will be taking up a place in the squad that could go to a younger player for their development (either a new player or one from the youth team).
I can only think this is something to do with him going into coaching (not that I’ve heard anything about him doing that)?
+1
IF this report is true, , then it is a huge mistake.
We need to urgently rid ourselves of our very few remaining deadwood players and NOT offer them a new contract. If the club wishes to keep him as a coach then fine, but not as a player.
He is way sub par and not remotely at our level. Never has been either.
Strange one in the extreme!!!!!!!
Its not about what he is going to play. First, it would be cruel for the club to realease him as he is injured.
Second, he is doing his coaching badges.
Third, his presence would not hinder any new signing.
Yep, he’s had an operation on his knee injury and the club are doing the right thing by standing by him.
Agree 100% Herr Drier … he has been a model professional for the club and has never let us down.
Of course he has his limitations, but hasn’t every player?
I have always respected the way our club treats its players (most of the time anyway) and I’m more than happy to respect MA’s decision.
Those fans who call ME “deadwood” are disrespecting both the player and the manager… are they really Arsenal fans?
Yes Ken, squad players like ME have limitations, even some 1st team players have them as well. What some people don’t seem to understand is there is no way we can have a squad of 25 1st team players.
There’s been quite a few players that have not been good enough to play for The Arsenal since the move to the Emirates imo, but I wouldn’t slag them off.
Talk about a woke type post! Are you an Arsenal supporter OR an Elneny one? Which is it!
I’ll let HD answer your question Jon – I think your view that Elneny would never get another contract (since when he has got two!!) has upset you to the extent that your questioning the wisdom of Mikel Arteta himself.
Are you a supporter of the club and MA’s decisions, or just unable to accept his different view of a player… thus labelling him as “deadwood” to alleviate your own ego?
KEN a silly and rather spiteful pst that avoids the truth, which is that whatever any of us thinks, MA has hardly ever played Elneny, esp not as first choice when all are fit, and he is patently not of the standard we need.
I could remind you, were I also being spiteful, perish the thought, that your hero AW was the man who brought him to us and that may well have something to do with your own refusal to call a spade a spade. Or rather, Elneny as a deadwood player.
That term is widely used in general fan speak language and is a perfectly apt word to use.
Unless one is a wokester of course, which I have never thought applies to you, even though some of your posts are bound to make me wonder, at times!
BTW, my original post on this thread was in reply to J.O.A. and not to HD, at all.
It has nothing to do with Arsene Wenger Jon, why you bring him into the debate must be to deflect from my questioning you supporting Mikel Arteta.
The “silly post” as you put it, is asking why you condemn fans who question Arteta’s decisions, but you cannot see that you are doing exactly the same thing with Elneny!!
Of course MA hasn’t played Elneny much – he was injured early on this season and the club have recognised that, by standing by the man and giving him a new contract…. it’s the Arsenal way, to support their players.
Elneny accepts he’s a squad player, why can’t you?
Compare his loyalty to the likes of RVP and Sanchez and it makes complete sense to anyone who sees what MA is building at the club.
Well JF, I’m an Arsenal man. Glad that The Arsenal are at last showing the class that we used to be known for.
Errr Jon,
Shouldn’t most Arsenal fans be both?
Well pointed out Pat, along with supporting MA and his decisions.
Pat, I suggest no real Arsenal fan wished to support a player that most of us regard as deadwood, foolishly brought to us by AW all those years ago and who is virtually, and mercifully, never picked, save in injury crisies!
It is nothing personal against a fine club man but we who support the TEAM first and ALWAYS above any player, put the teams success before the personal wishes of ANY player, no matter whom!
Blah Blah Blah Jon – just give your own opinion and stop thinking you represent the majority for once!!
I’m so pleased that Mikel Arteta doesn’t agree with you and I am a REAL Arsenal fan, who has a different opinion and always supported the club over a player… Judas RVP comes to mind!!
RvP is just oneplayer and Cole was another, so thats two you rightly dissed. But what about Ozil, who for all those years was taking the club ands SOME, only some, of we fans for fools with his laziness and fake sickies? Care to explain yourself on that Ken!!
Oh ,let me tell you what you will say! You won’t admit he WAS bone idle.
Talk about deliberately not seeing what was right in front of your face and for all those years too!!
Jon Fox, how dare you question me or any other fan on being a real Arsenal fan !! ME may not be the greatest player to wear our shirt, but he’s happy to be a squad player. Every club needs squad players like ME.
HD Not so! No club with real ambition needs a plainly sub par player like ME. We as a top club need him – unless he is retained as a coach- out the door asap.
Squad players , all of them, need to be of a decent level. Elneny is way sub the level we need. That is why he hardly ever plays over all his years here. He should NEVER have been bought at all and wise Gooners admit that and thus put the needs of the TEAM first!!
So JF, during the glory years between ’96 to ’07 you reckon we never had what you call a “sub par player” ? Some might well say Luznhy, Grimandi, Wreh, Aliadiere, are just a few that fit that description.
You say he’s “sub the level we need”. The manager says different. He obviously sees something in ME, just like all the managers at club and international level see in another Arsenal player,Xhaka, who a lot of Arsenal fans said wasn’t good enough.
Btw, the term Gooner is used far to easily these days imho. The club tried to ban that term and Gooners in the late 70’s.
HD Why you are trying to put words into my mouth that I have never said is a puzzle to me, as I always say precisely what I wish to say and do not say what I don’t wish to say.
I have never said and don’t think that those early AW years were full of only top class players. Of course they were not! The ones you list were all sub par but we won trophies, despite having to sometimes include them. I wonder how many more we might have won had none of those players been around to hamper us andif we had better ones in their place.
THAT is precisely my point. I WANT AS FEW SUB PAR PLAYERS AS POSSIBLE, IDEALLY NONE AT ALL, IN ANY ARSENAL SQUAD OF ANY ERA. Thank you therefore for making my point yourself!
About the term “Gooner”, it is no more than a curruption of “Gunner”, as we all know. Back in the late seventies. many things that were in common usage then, eg overt racism and disgusting bigot type language are not routinely used today and vice versa. The world today is, at least in the free world, a far better, more evolved place, thank the Lord!
Language also moves on and we adapt to new words, which keeps our precious language alive and vibrant(though on a different platform, I could well argue that this is a vastly more nuanced subject than I can possible tackle too deeply on JA).
Despite my top class English language degree, I try to use words that are easily understood by all Arsenal fans, or by “Gunners”, if you prefer.
It does not concern me whichever word you prefer , provided my words are understood, as it is clear they have been.
JF, you may well have a degree in English, but certainly not one in comprehension ! Nowhere in my previous post was I “trying to put words” in your mouth ! I was just trying to show you that not all squad players are the bees knees, yet they have helped us win trophies !
The term Gooner never came from a corruption (note the correct spelling) of the word Gunner. That is a myth.
HD IN FACT, though you seem not to realise it, by using a question mark after your first sentence wher you compared players , you were infact attempting to make me agree with your statement and that equates to trying to put words into my mouth. You also used “you reckon” as an assumption, followed by that question mark, when you had no right to assume such a thing. THAT is the point I was making.
I have no objection whatsoever about what you say for yourself, but I have every right to challenge you when you try to make out a case for yourself assuming something on my behalf. QED!
The solution, in the future, is to use English in the correct fashion and then no challenge would be necessary .
@Jon Fox
You are a funny man. Elneny supporter??? Lmaooo
JOA, no I am NOT an Elneny supporter. I SUPPORT ALL THAT MAKES OUR TEAM BETTER AND HIS LEAVING WILL HELP.
It wouldn’t be cruel – we could (and would) help him find a new club that suits his situation, I’m very sure – and I don’t think that would be difficult.
If we have re-signed him, I’m sure there’s a reason, and i can only think it’s to do with your second point (which isn’t a bad thing necessarily – not for me to say or know)
So Davi, what happens to him if his rehab from his knee operation takes him past the 30th of June ? What club would sign a player of his age that still hadn’t fully recovered from his op ?
Firstly, if no one else would sign a player in that situation, why should we? Are we really so naive?
Secondly, plenty of clubs would actually be happy to take a chance on a player with so much experience, as long as wage demands were reasonable.
Finally, unfortunately, players careers stop due to injuries all the time – we shouldn’t be giving out contracts to crocked players, no matter how much we like them.
Arsenal has shown in the past they will help out players in that situation by helping them return to fitness and find a new club, or by giving them chances in coaching, if that makes sense for the person. That’s extremely decent in my view, but to give out a playing contract on that basis would be plain stupid.
Why should we ? Because he got the injury while being an Arsenal player, and that’s The Arsenal way.
Not sure another club would take on the rehabilitation of a player that was injured at his previous club.
Yes the club have helped ex players who have needed help in regaining their fitness so that they can then find a club, but I can’t recall the club ever doing that to a player who’s contract had just expired. That’s just not The Arsenal way.
Strange situation when our best left back is likely to leave at the end of the season to strengthen one of our main competitors, and yet we extend the contract of a midfielder who has never been a regular.While I have a lot of respect for Elneny who is a dedicated Arsenal man,he is unlikely to make a meaningful contribution in terms of performance on the pitch.Arteta obviously relates to the guy ,and the fact that he is unlikely to command a reasonable transfer fee , has probably worked in his favour particularly as Lokonga is unlikely to make the grade with Arsenal.
I bet he’s a great example to the youngsters and is doing his training badges…
Pat Currently, he is employed as a player and his general play is way sub the level we need and that all other of our squad players show, possibly bar Holding alone, of those who are present in training each day.
In the future , should he complete his badges and the club then decides to keep him as a coach only, I will have no objection at all.
I have never doubed that he is popular within the club and with other players.
Mr Jon Fox, while you are not happy that he was given a new contract because you think he is deadwood, you have to understand that no squad in the world is made up of world class players only. His contract was given majorly for off the pitch reasons and with reduced wages. This is not even supposed to be an argument. And I’M NOT WOKE!!! Not at all, just speaking from my perspective.
JOA I never suggested that all squad players should be world class. Those are your words that you tried to put into my mouth but I REJECT THEM AS NONSENSE.
IF HE IS BEING KEPT JUST TO HELP THE DRESSING ROOM SPIRIT AND COMES VERY CHEAP AND IS SEEN AS A COACH IN WAITING , THEN AND ONLY THEN WOULD I ACCEPT HIM STAYING .
AS LONG AS HE DOES NOT PLAY AND THUS REGRESS OUR TEAM.