Arsenal offering Mohamed Elneny new contract could be smart move

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Arsenal had decided to let Mohamed Elneny leave on a free transfer just a few weeks ago, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

At the time, the Gunners moving Elneny on appeared to make perfect sense. The Egyptian has had high points for Arsenal. However, he has never been able to prove himself as a regular starter for the club.

And it did seem that he may struggle to make another appearance. He was not involved in 11 consecutive Premier League games from January, being an unused substitute in 10 of those.

But the injury to Thomas Partey has opened the door for Elneny in the last couple of fixtures. And now it appears that Arsenal may yet make a dramatic u-turn on his future.

Elneny has started against both Chelsea and Manchester United. And he has more than played his part in helping the Gunners collect six points.

Ian Wright described him as ‘magnificent‘ alongside Granit Xhaka. And Elneny has now left the door open for a new deal, with The Times even suggesting that he looks set to sign a new contract with Arsenal.

It will not be the most exciting piece of business Arsenal produce this summer. And there are likely to be plenty of fans who would be slightly concerned if Elneny carried on.

But surely, based on the last two displays, Arteta has every reason to want Elneny to stay.

Arsenal keeping Mohamed Elneny now makes a lot of sense

If he is happy with his current role in the team, it seems to be a no-brainer. He is clearly someone Arteta values and enjoys having around the squad. And there never appears to be any discontent over not playing as much as he would like.

It is rare to find players who are content with being a backup and then step up when needed. Elneny has done that in the last week. And he has done it before then, too.

Obviously, Arsenal should not break the bank to keep Elneny. And Arteta should not be looking to build a team around the 29-year-old.

But if he is happy to fill in when needed, it could prove to be a smart piece of business from Arsenal to keep him for another year.