£55k-a-week Arsenal star on ‘verge’ of exit as Mikel Arteta seeks FFP boost

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Mohamed Elneny could soon depart from Arsenal.

Arsenal signed Mohamed Elneny in January 2016, paying £5 million to secure his services from Swiss club Basel.

The Egyptian midfielder has since been an excellent servant to the north London club, without ever being a regular, nailed-on starter. Across all competitions, the 31-year-old has made 159 appearances for Arsenal, scoring six goals and laying on ten assists.

Whilst he has his limitations as a player, Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery, and Mikel Arteta have all been able to rely upon Elneny to give his best and work hard for the team when called upon. He is an excellent passer of the ball and brings experience and composure to the squad.

However, the time has now come to accept that Elneny can no longer really contribute at the level that Arsenal require. Arteta’s side are genuine Premier League title contenders now. Elneny is not a player who can push them closer towards achieving that aim. The player has only featured once in the Premier League so far this season, making a late cameo off the bench against Sheffield United, as injuries and his lowly place in the pecking order have restricted his opportunities.

Elneny has a great love for Arsenal, and is respected by the fans, but now might the ideal time for Arteta to move him on. 

Why Arsenal should let Mohamed Elneny go

According to the Daily Mail, Elneny could already be on the “verge” of leaving Arsenal, as Turkish clubs Trabzonspor and Besiktas both hold an interest in the player.

Whilst the Gunners would be unlikely to attract any kind of notable fee for the 97-cap Egypt international, they could certainly do with cutting his £55,000-a-week wages off the books. The club invested heavily in the recent summer transfer window, shelling out a club-record £105 million fee to sign Declan Rice. A further £65 million was spent on Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber cost the club £38 million. Arsenal are also expected to part with £27 million convert David Raya’s loan move into a permanent switch.

Sales and cuts from the squad are needed to ensure that Arsenal can comply with FFP regulations in the wake of this spending frenzy. Elneny’s exit would help them in that sense and could give them more room to manoeuvre when it comes to welcoming new faces to the club.