Departing midfielder Mohamed Elneny has now left a heartfelt message for one Arsenal figure ahead of his exit from the Emirates Stadium.
Mohamed Elneny’s time at Arsenal has now drawn to a close.
The Egyptian first joined the club in January 2016, arriving from Swiss outfit Basel. He went on to make 161 appearances for the Gunners, across all competitions.
Whilst he was rarely a regular starter for Arsenal, the 31-year-old was a reliable hard-worker, always gave his all when called upon, and had an eye for the occasional spectacular strike from range. He now leaves the club with an FA Cup winners’ medal and the respect of the club’s supporters.
With Elneny moving on, Jorginho approaching the end of his career, and Thomas Partey no longer a viable long-term option, there is set to be a dearth of options in Mikel Arteta’s midfield contingent. The Gunners will subsequently look to strengthen in the middle of the park over the course of the summer transfer window.
Mohamed Elneny sends message to Mikel Arteta after Arsenal exit
In truth, Arteta never seemed to have a great deal of faith in Elneny anyway, despite having once shared a dressing room with him back in his playing days. The 101-cap Eqypt international has featured just eight times in the Premier League over the course of the last two seasons, though injuries have impacted his availability too.
Despite his lack of opportunities, Elneny has now heaped praise on the Spanish coach. Speaking to the official Arsenal website, the departing star said: “I played with Mikel for six months before he retired and became a coach. I enjoyed playing with him and him coaching me because I learned so much from him. I appreciate everything he has done for me and this football club.
“When he was playing he was clever, and then he’s had so many good coaches he got to work with. You could see his leadership and that he could be something special.”
The impact Mikel Arteta has had at Arsenal
Arteta has transformed Arsenal since taking the helm in December 2019. It has been a process of gradual improvement, with setbacks and disappointments, but the Gunners are now genuine title contenders and expected to compete for the biggest prizes in the game.
Elneny will now watch on as a supporter, hoping to see Arsenal achieve silverware in the coming years. That is the challenge now facing this side, who have shown that they can compete, but must now prove that they can get over the line and deliver trophies.