Transfer Centre

Mohamed Elneny 'to leave Arsenal in January amid Besiktas, Trabzonspor interest'

By Andrew Delaney, Reporter | 02 January 2024

Mohamed Elneny is set to leave Arsenal this month, with Turkish clubs Besiktas and Trabzonspor both showing interest, according to a report.

Turkish clubs Besiktas and Trabzonspor have reportedly made offers for fringe Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny

Elneny has featured just once in the Premier League this season, and it was as an 89th-minute substitute in the Gunners' 5-0 win against Sheffield United in October.

The Egyptian did make his solitary start of the season away to PSV Eindhoven on matchday six of the Champions League, but it has become apparent there is no place for him in Mikel Arteta's plans.

Therefore, the Daily Mail claims that, as Arsenal are considering offers for some of their lesser-used squad players, the two Turkish clubs are interested in signing Elneny.

Elneny has experienced Turkish football before, with Besiktas, back in the 2019-20 season, when he spent a season on loan in Istanbul.

That came after Elneny failed to play more than 14 Premier League games in any of his first four seasons at the Emirates Stadium, following a move from Basel in 2015.

However, on returning to the club following that loan spell, Elneny enjoyed more game time, making 41 appearances in all competitions.

Mohamed Elneny celebrates scoring for Arsenal against Oxford United on January 9, 2023 © Reuters

Since then though, the 31-year-old has become little more than a squad player once again, and even more so this season, after the signing of Declan Rice in the summer.

Arsenal will be without Elneny for the next month at least anyway, as he has been selected by Egypt for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

While he will not be available until February, the two Turkish clubs may still be eager to get a deal done quickly, in order to fight off competition from the other for the midfielder.

Elneny's contract expires in the summer, after signing a one-year extension in February, so that means that he could be available for a low price, as Arsenal would prefer to receive a transfer fee than lose him for nothing in June.

Both Besiktas and Trabzonspor will be in the market to bolster their squads after disappointing starts to the Super Lig campaign.

The two are both recent title winners, but are a long way adrift of the runaway top two of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, as the minor European spots are all that is left to play for.

Besiktas will hope that Elneny's experience of playing for the club will give them the edge in negotiations, and he would be joining a team filled with former Premier League players, including ex-teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.