Mohamed Elneny has still not been handed a new contract at Arsenal, meaning he is in danger of leaving for free at the end of the season, the Athletic report.
Elneny has a deal at Arsenal which lasts until 2020, but the Gunners are yet to offer him a new contract.
That plunges his future into doubt beyond this campaign, with the Egyptian now seemingly playing for his future.
Arteta has actually lent on Elneny to play a fairly important role for Arsenal over the last year, and even called him ‘special’ back in November (Metro).
The defensive midfielder returned from loan and did enough over pre-season to convince Arteta that he had a first-team role to play at the Emirates Stadium.
While Elneny was far from a permanent starter, he was used regularly in a rotational role and generally provided solid cover.
Can Arsenal advance with Elneny?
There are some doubts over whether Elneny truly has the quality to get Arsenal where they need to be though.
The 28-year-old is solid defensively, but lacks any real cutting edge in advanced areas.
If Arsenal were to let him go, then it is unlikely that it would upset too many supporters at the Emirates Stadium.
However, there may be concerns that Arsenal won’t get his full value, if they do allow his contract to expire and he departs on a free transfer.
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