Soon-to-be free agent insists he’s waiting for Arsenal contract offer

Mo Elneny has claimed that he will sign a new contract with Arsenal if the club tells him that they want him.

The Egyptian midfielder has enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks, coming into the side on the back of Thomas Partey’s injury, and it had been reported by TheAthletic that we were lining up a new contract for him.

Elneny appears to be none-the-wiser to any talks of a new deal however, claiming that he will stay if we ‘want’ him, but he is waiting on the club to do so.

‘I’ve said before, if Arsenal want me, it’s my club, my family, but it’s not my decision. I have to wait for them to say “Mo, we want you”.

‘Since the first day I have been here, it has felt like a family. We really work like that here, it’s such a beautiful club.’

On one hand, Elneny has been a loyal servant to our club, and is more than deserving of a new contract, especially given his recent run of form, but at the same time, he just doesn’t appear to be in the manager’s plans. Given the choice, Arteta continued to try Albert Sambi Lokonga ahead of him earlier in the season, and we are surely to add to our options ahead of a return to European football in the new season, and I struggle to believe that his recent form will have changed much in the manager’s mind.

We also have youngsters in Charlie Patino and Miguel Azeez who are waiting in the wings for their chance to break into the side, and Elneny is likely the first one out the door from our current options.

I think an exit makes sense this summer, although I wouldn’t be sitting down to tell him that just yet, as there is no need to risk upsetting his form with so much on the line in our coming games.

Patrick

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