Mohamed Elneny priced himself out of a January move to Galatasaray with the Arsenal midfielder now stuck in the Premier League, according to NTV Spor.
Four months from now, will Mikel Arteta, Edu and co look back on the January transfer window and wish they’d done things differently?
Arsenal did not sign a single first-team player in the first month of 2022. Though not for a lack of trying.
A lack of additions did not stop the Gunners from farming out five members of their senior squad, however. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Pablo Mari were among those cut loose.
That’s without mentioning Folarin Balogun’s loan move to Middlesbrough.
Now, there wasn’t exactly much meat on Arsenal’s bones before the January window opened. By 11pm on Monday night, Arteta and Edu had managed to strip the flesh from an already threadbare squad, leaving a skeleton staff to fight for Champions League qualification.
And, if Elneny had not asked for £50,000-a-week while in negotiations with Galatasaray, the experienced Egypt international might have followed Aubameyang out the door.
Does Mohamed Elneny have a future at Arsenal?
According to NTV, Super Lig strugglers Galatasaray held talks with Elneny. The former Besiktas loanee wanted £2.5 million-a-year at the Nef Stadium, however; A demand which quickly brought a close to the negotiations.
Galatasaray then turned their attention to Fiorentina’s Chilean enforcer Erick Pulgar.
Pulgar will travel to Turkey on Thursday to complete his switch. The Turkish transfer window remains open until February 8th.
Elneny was also linked with a move to Newcastle United last month. The Magpies turned their attention elsewhere, however, and even the most rose-tinted of Arsenal supporters would struggle to argue that Elneny is a more superior footballer than £33 million Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes.
Elneny’s father, meanwhile, ruled out a shock return to Egypt with African giants Al Ahly.
The former Basel ace, who is now in action at the African Cup of Nations, has made just ten appearances for Arsenal this season. Though he could have come in handy with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey on the sidelines recently.
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