Galatasaray made contact with Arsenal to ask about the possibility of signing Mohamed Elneny this week, but the Gunners see the midfielder as part of their plans for the season; Turkish transfer window closing on Wednesday; Elneny has just a year remaining on his contract at Arsenal
Tuesday 7 September 2021 19:00, UK
Arsenal have rejected a bid from Turkish side Galatasaray for midfielder Mohamed Elneny.
Galatasaray made contact with Arsenal to ask about the possibility of signing the midfielder this week, but the Gunners see Elneny as part of their plans for the season.
The Turkish giants have until the close of their domestic transfer window on Wednesday to conclude a deal for the 29-year-old.
Elneny, who joined Arsenal from Swiss club Basel in 2016, has just a year remaining on his contract in north London.
The Egypt international has previous experience of playing in Turkey having spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Besiktas.
After falling out of favour under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, he featured 41 times in all competitions last season, in Mikel Arteta's first full campaign in charge at the Emirates Stadium.
Should he move to Galatasaray, he would join a host of players with Premier League experience.
The Galatasaray squad includes the likes of former Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin, Crystal Palace left-back Patrick van Aanholt, one time Liverpool and Fulham forward Ryan Babel, and ex-West Brom striker Mbaye Diagne.
Takehiro Tomiyasu became Arsenal's sixth signing of a busy summer on Deadline Day, his £19.8m arrival from Bologna taking the club's transfer spend past £150m.
The right-back, 22, follows Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard to the Emirates Stadium, with all six signings aged between 21 and 23 years old.
The new additions show a concerted effort to lower the average age of the squad and invest in the future of the club, but has the overhaul gone far enough?
And with Mikel Arteta already facing mounting pressure following Arsenal's dismal start to the Premier League season, will the new faces be able to provide the immediate improvement required?
