Report: £2.5m-a-year Arsenal ace may join club 15 points clear in title race

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Arsenal’s Premier League benchwarmer Mohamed Elneny has been offered to Turkish leaders Trabzonspor with his Emirates contract expiring in three months’ time, as reported by Fanatik. 

Two years ago, a Trabzonspor side inspired by the irrepressible Alexander Sorloth came within touching distance of a first Super Lig title since 1984, only to be pipped to the proverbial post by Istanbul Basaksehir’s team of late-blooming veterans. 

But not even the most pessimistic Karadeniz Firtinasi supporter will be fearing that history is about to repeat itself this time around.

Trabzonspor are 15 points clear of second place Konyaspor, storming to the summit with the traditional ‘big three’ of Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray performing well below their usual standards. 

So if former Besiktas coach Abdullah Avci seizes the opportunity to reunite with Elneny at the Medical Park Stadium, the Egypt international will be leaving Arsenal for a club basking in the glory of their first league title in 38 years. Their first league title since Wham, Stevie Wonder and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were jostling for position at the top of the UK charts. 

Goodbye Elneny?

According to Fanatik, Elneny is one of many players to be offered to the Black Sea club in recent times.

And, given the mutual admiration that exists between Avci and Elneny, it would be a surprise if the midfielder didn’t end up back in Turkey. Even if his £2.5 million-a-year wage demands recently scuppered a move to Galatasaray. 

“If I saw that the difference between me and my colleagues at Arsenal was too big, I would leave immediately,” Elneny admitted recently. “I’m not stubborn.”  

Elneny has played seven Premier League games this term, and just once since the turn of the year.

“I am very happy to come to Besiktas,” the 29-year-old told Spox when first joining forces with Avci back in 2019. “Our coach is trying to play Guardiola and Klopp-style football.  

“He’s trying to control the ball. He doesn’t like the long ball. He does not like to lose the ball unnecessarily. When we lose, he tries to get that ball back as soon as possible. This is a style that I like very much.”