After a disastrous start to the new year, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have suddenly turned into one of the favourites to lift the Europa League title this season, which might also save Wenger’s job, which was in grave danger, just a few weeks ago.
The manager now seems comfortable and settled and is already planning for the next season. He is scouting for some of the finest stars in Europe but is also keeping an eye on players already at the club, trying to persuade them to extend their stay.
The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are constantly linked with an exit but one midfielder, who seems to have cemented his place in the squad at Arsenal is Egyptian star Mohamed Elneny.
After being put up for sale at the start of the season, the 25-year old failed to impress in the first few months of the current season but is now an integral part of the first team, starting seven of the club’s last 10 games in all competitions.
He has a goal and an assist in 25 appearances for Arsenal this season but has made just seven PL starts, which will have unsettled him. However, reports now claim that Wenger is desperate to tie him down to a new deal before the end of the season.
Reports from the Mirror claim that Arsenal are ready to open talks of a contract extension with the Egyptian midfielder later this month and that they are confident of the player putting pen to paper this season. But is the right move by the Gunners?
As already mentioned, Arsenal might struggle to keep Jack Wilshere at the club beyond this season. The English midfielder is also out of a contract at the end of the season and is not happy with his situation at the club at the moment. To add to it, Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey has also been linked with an exit, so it does not come as a surprise that Wenger wants to sort out the future of at least one of his midfielders.
At 25, Elneny has already made 57 appearances for his national side, to add to 66 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners. He adds a different dimension to the Arsenal midfield and gives some mettle to the side, that has been missing at times this season.
He may not be the best midfielder at the club but with more than two years left on his contract, the fact that he is offered a new one shows the trust Wenger has on his midfielder.
But do you think Arsenal need to spend on another midfielder this summer?
