Premier League Arsenal farmed Mo Elneny out to Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas in the summer before he ever had the chance to impress Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s forgotten man Mohamed Elneny has admitted that he would be ‘happy’ to join Besiktas on a permanent basis this summer, speaking to BeIN Sports.
Striking an agreement, however, could be easier said than done.
Turkish Football reported recently that Arsenal were hoping to make a substantial profit on a midfielder who joined the Gunners during the latter days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, with a £15 million price-tag slapped on the head of an experienced Egyptian international.
But such an eye-watering fee is well out of Besiktas’s reach. Regardless of how much Elneny is enjoying life in Istanbul, the former Basel favourite could still be forced to make an awkward return to North London when the season comes to an end.
Not that this has stopped Elneny from making his preferences clear.
“If Besiktas wants me and an agreement can be made I’d be happy to stay. I am getting on well with the new manager Sergen Yalcin,” a man who fell out of favour under Unai Emery told BeIN.
A deep-lying midfielder with an impressive passing range has made 26 appearances for Besiktas in 2019/20, more than in three of his four seasons at the Emirates.
It remains to be seen, however, whether new Gunners coach Mikel Arteta is willing to hand a fresh start to a man who had been farmed out on loan long before he returned to North London from Manchester City.
Matteo Guendouzi saw a rare chance pass him by against Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Monday night while Granit Xhaka, improving or not, still has a blunder or two in his locker.
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