According to Turkish-Football, Besiktas are keen on retaining the services of Mohamed Elneny next season. Although the club does have the option to activate his €18 million buyout option, it is not something they can exercise due to financial shortcomings. As a matter of fact, the Turkish giants want Arsenal to cover part of his wages, should he re-join the club on loan this summer.
Do Arsenal need Mohamed Elneny?
Elneny is currently in a tricky situation at Arsenal. He has never really been successful since arriving at the Emirates. But, Arsenal have changed following the arrival of Mikel Arteta, who, of course, did not decide to ship him out on loan to Besiktas last summer.
So we have to discuss purely from a sporting perspective whether Elneny will have value in the current Arsenal squad. And the answer could very well be yes given the lack of depth in the current midfield unit.
Indeed, the Gunners only have four viable options in midfield at the moment in Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Dani Ceballos and Matteo Guendouzi. Ceballos’ loan spell at Emirates will expire at the end of the season while Guendouzi has struggled to impress Arteta since the turn of the year.
So on paper, Elneny’s potential return to Emirates could benefit Arsenal. The Egyptian international could offer additional depth in the midfield unit. He has experience of playing in the Premier League as well, and though he is yet to prove himself in the English top-flight, his game has matured a lot over the past eight months.
Can Elneny improve Arsenal?
As mentioned earlier, Arsenal could use the additional depth provided by Elneny in the midfield department. But, he simply isn’t quality enough to help them potentially fight for a place in the Champions League next season. Especially if Ceballos returns to Bernabeu, the Gunners must sign an upgrade over Elneny.
A lot of experts have claimed that Jack Grealish could emerge as a target for Arsenal this summer. The Aston Villa star could indeed be an excellent signing for Arteta given his aggression and work-ethic. But, signing him would be difficult as he is expected to attract a lot of interest across Europe.
What’s next for Elneny?
It doesn’t look like Elneny will have a future at Arsenal. Hence, it would perhaps be wiser for the Gunners to ship him out permanently. His departure could help the club fund moves for their summer targets.
Speaking of which, however, it won’t be surprising to see Elneny not remaining at Besiktas next season. As emphasized earlier, the Turkish club’s financial problems could prevent them from signing the Egyptian permanently. In that case, the midfielder will have to be content with moving elsewhere.
A return to Premier League could even be on the cards here. A lot will inevitably depend on his performances during the remainder of this campaign.
