Has Arsene Wenger signing Mo Elneny already played his final Premier League game for The Gunners? Besiktas want to keep the Super Lig loanee.
Besiktas are hoping to keep Mohamed Elneny once his loan spell from Arsenal comes to an end, agent Omer Uzun has told Turkish Football.
The irony will not have been lost on Gunners fans when Gilberto Silva, a member of that Invincible side who conquered all before them in 2004, said that an outcasted Egyptian was the closest thing Emirates has seen to Patrick Vieira since the legendary Frenchman left north London 15 years ago (France Football).
After all, it feels very unlikely that Elneny will ever play for Arsenal again.
It is no secret that the Premier League underachievers are still, still crying out for a tough-tackling central midfielder in the Vieira mould. But even a glaring hole at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s tactical blueprint is unlikely to result in Elneny being handed a second chance.
The former Basel ace, a £5 million Arsene Wenger signing, could be set to leave Arsenal permanently this summer as long as Besiktas can stump up the required transfer fee.
“We haven’t had an official meeting so far, but I know that the technical staff and Beşiktaş want to keep Elneny,” said Uzun, who played a key role in the deal that brought Elneny to Istanbul last summer.
“After the (global health) situation becomes clearer, they will start negotiations with Arsenal regarding the player’s future. Elneny is a very professional and good player. You can see this with the contribution he has made (at Besiktas).”
Turkish Football reported recently that Arsenal wanted £15 million for Elneny, a fee that could scupper any hopes Besiktas have of signing the 27-year-old on a full-time basis.
But with Arteta’s transfer budget seemingly shrinking with every month that goes by, The Gunners may be tempted to alter their demands to raise some much-needed funds for summer signings.
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