According to Daily Mail, Arsenal are bracing themselves for the departure of Mohamed Elneny. The Egyptian international is set to join Besiktas on a season-long loan deal after struggling to integrate into Unai Emery’s system. The Arsenal manager has also told the midfielder that he is surplus to his requirements and thus, a move away from Emirates, albeit temporarily, is on the horizon.
Elneny’s lack of chances at the Emirates
Elneny joined Arsenal in January 2016, in a €12.5 million move from FC Basel. However, he never really managed to make an impression under Arsene Wenger, despite playing an important role during the backend of the 2015/16 campaign.
The Egyptian was later overshadowed by the arrival of Granit Xhaka in the summer of 2016. The Swiss international quickly became a first-team regular at the club, thus minimising the overall gametime for Elneny. In the 2016/17 campaign, the ex-El Ahly prodigy mustered only 694 minutes of league football.
During Elneny’s ongoing three and a half year spell at the club, the midfielder has appeared in only 46 Premier League matches. And in the past couple of seasons, he has accumulated just over 1,200 minutes of league football.
No future prospect
Even when a footballer is struggling with a lack of opportunities at his club, he must have the scope to become a regular in future. But that’s far fetched for Elneny at Arsenal as the North London club already have the blueprint as to how their midfield unit is going to shape up in the coming years.
Matteo Guendouzi has made a massive impression since coming in from Lorient last summer. And at the age of 20, he is set to become a crucial outlet in the Gunners’ midfield for years to come. As for Xhaka and Lucas Torreira, they are relatively young as well and are unlikely to be dethroned from the starting lineup anytime soon.
Elneny, therefore, has no scope for becoming a potential first-team regular at Arsenal. A permanent departure away from Emirates, therefore, could have made more sense.
An exciting opportunity for Elneny
A move to Besiktas will provide Elneny with a chance to revive his career after a difficult spell at Arsenal. The Turkish giants are scouring the market for a new midfielder, following the €2 million departure of Gary Medel. Also, club captain Atiba Hutchinson, at the age of 36, is in the twilight of his career.
Elneny, to that end, could fit in perfectly at Besiktas, managed by Abdullah Avci. The Arsenal star could create a formidable midfield partnership with Dorukhan Tokoz in the double-pivot.
A lot of players have managed to resurrect their careers in the Turkish Super Lig. Elneny, in that regard, has time on his side and could once again become a hot prospect in European football if he can impress in Turkey.
