Mohamed Elneny has confirmed that he will leave Arsenal this summer drawing a line under an eight-and-a-half-year spell at Emirates Stadium.
The Egypt international, 31, is out of contract in the summer and the decision has been taken to not offer him a new deal. There’s little surprise about that given the midfielder has played just 95 minutes of football this season.
Elneny had been tipped to leave the club last summer but those plans were shelved when he suffered a serious knee injury. Recognising his former teammate would be sidelined for an extended period, Arteta offered him a 12-month extension so he could focus on his rehabilitation without worrying about having to find a new club. It was a touching gesture to a popular member of the squad.
Elneny joined the Gunners from Basel in January 2016 and featured regularly for a couple of seasons as a low-key holding midfielder.
His time in north London might easily have come to an end when Unai Emery sent him on loan to Besiktas but he impressed Arteta on his return and produced several eye-catching performances as backup to Thomas Partey. Defying expectations was very much a hallmark of Elneny’s time at the club; few could have predicted he’d stick around so long.
He departs the club having scored six goals – including a few crackers – and made 10 assists in 161 appearances.
In a message posted on his social media channels, he took a moment to thank supporters for their backing over the years.
“I’m here today to send you a message, to say goodbye and thank you for everything you’ve done for me, your love, the support and the kindness.
“I’m really going to miss you so much, you will be in my heart forever. I wanted to say how much I love you and how much you mean to me and I will never forget the way you supported me.
“I’m going to see you on Sunday at Emirates Stadium to say goodbye face to face. See you, Gunners.”
It remains to be seen whether Elneny is included in the squad for the match against Everton. You suspect with so much riding on the outcome that Arteta may not be able to offer him the time on the pitch he probably craves. But you never know.
Best of luck to Mo, no doubt he’ll land on his feet wherever he goes.
Hope he gets a loud rendition of Twist & Shout as a send off on Sunday
Top man. Good luck for your future, Pharaoh.
Dam, I already miss Mo… I wish there was space to keep him as a player coach. Honestly one of the truly good guys left in footie! [single tear]…
Unfortunately there is no space for romance in sport. Here’s hoping Sunday is the exception 😬🤞
Yeah – although would be unlikely. I remember when it was 2015-16 season, Rosicky wasn’t included in the squad, as there was a chance we could have qualified for the Champions League assuming we won and Spurs lost.
They lost, hilariously, 5-1 to Newcastle – who’d already been relegated. HAHAHAHA
There is always room for romance in sport. Without that we wouldn’t have magic moments like Henry coming back and scoring against Leeds, Bergkamp’s testimonial game etc. I’m glad we kept him and re-signed him even with the injury. He’s a hard worker who never complained and we took care of him. Classy move from the club.
Mo is Arsenal. Sad to see him go. I’m sure he’ll thrive at his next club.
He is/was a very loyal employee of the club and always did his best when called upon.
That being said, he’s not the standard required in the actual phase of the club, aiming for PL/UCL titles, competing against the best of UK and Europe.
Some things are just needed for team cohesion. Mo brought that in spades.
City has them too, Scott Carson has been on their book for years
Utterly tasteless comment, as much for its abject timing as for its casual dismissal of a guy who only ever showed up striving and smiling for his club… and ours.
He always came on and did a tidy job when called upon which is sometimes all you need from a squad player.
Ruthlessly I am 100% with your post. Nevertheless, Arteta and the club did the right and great thing of extending Mo last season and not again this season. Thanks to you for the things you given to the club and fans. Best of luck to Mo wherever he goes!
Not counting Arteta, he must be the last one of Wenger’s players left? Or am I missing someone?
All the best, Mo, and thank for your service!
nketiah and reiss left too
Where did they go?
left as in “are left in the club”, not left as in “have left the club”
I had to go back and look. Not only that, he is the last player to play with Mikel Arteta. 15th of May 2016, last match of the season and Arteta’s last match. Mo and Mikel were both used as substitutes in our 4-0 win vs Aston Villa
He always did what he had to when called upon. He knew what he was, and accepted it. Massive respect for that. I understand the drive to be starting XI for The Arsenal, but not all are that material, and should come to terms with that. Mo understood that and did his job admirably. Will miss this Gunner.
Absolutely impossible not to like Mo
Thanks for all you’ve done for Arsenal you’ll always be welcome & missed by everyone involved at the club 👏👏
Farewell Mo-OnlyScoresBangers-Elneny. The final piece of the Wenger puzzle. Sad to see him go. Loyal to the club from start to finish 🫡
What a guy. I bet you he was one of Arteta’s generals in the dressing room. Will be missed.
November 2020, Old Trafford. Elneny pressing United across half of the pitch like a mad man in the 91st minute after playing the whole game. This memory encapsulates him for me.
Thank you, Mo!
Troodat – an absolute Trojan. Some people questioned his ability – but loyalty, commitment and an unfailing uplifting spirit are equally, if not more, NB.
MO is such a dude, was always reliable, had that amazing game at Old Trafford and took the piss out of Alexis too. Such an easy guy to love and scored some fucking screamers as well. He will be missed. Good luck Mo.
I love you, Mo.
You’ve always been a model professional, and I don’t think I can think of any other Arsenal player since before Wenger that just instantly makes me smile.
Thank you for your service, you wonderful human being!
Thank you for everything!
He may not have set the world alight with his performances, but he certainly did with his smile. Hard not to like mo, and I look forward to seeing where he ends up next (I’d love to see him in MLS, but I suspect he’s headed to mbs)
He is the consummate professional and I wish him the best wherever he goes. And I hope he’ll be back as a member of the coaching staff before long.
He might not be one of the best players we’ve ever had, but he’s certainly one of the most likeable and loyal – a total class act.
Obviously a top guy, but a bit underrated as a player. Obviously he was never going to set the world alight but he never let us down, always an 6 or 7 out of 10 and 100% effort.
He should have had more appearances in previous sides, but it’s right that he moves on now we’ve progressed. Will be interesting to see where he goes next.
Yes, there’s a perception that he was kept around as a sort of mascot. Mo-Saurus. He was, in fact, a squad player at the highest level of football in the world. Thanks Mo!
Not going to go down well as i know, but good luck to him, he’s certainly had that by representing arsenal for over 8 years, a good but limited professional who never let us down, can’t think of a major mistake he made or being MOTM either, as memory serves me at the time, Basel FC were really doing well in CL, we got outbid by chelski for a player called Salah and went for the cheaper option, that said Arsenal showed class keeping him on when he got injured last season.
I always thought there was a song for him to the tune and words of “Second best secret agent in the whole wide world” by Sami Davies Jr. Oh well I’ll give it a try
He’s not the first, but he’s not the worst,
He’s just the second best Pharaoh player in the English world
He’s every bit as gud as what’s his name,
In a game, any game
And all the goals he’s put in the net,
Just go to show us that he’s the second best
Farewell Mo
He’s a classy human being with a huge heart, as well as being a top footballer and an incredible professional. Even when he’s not in the squad, he’s always smiling and celebrating (goals and wins! in the players’ area. What a guy! Honestly, giving him that extra year on his contract so he can get on with his rehab has to be one of the most heartwarming things we’ve done as a club in recent times. Shows the class of the club too and the value that Arteta has for him as a person. All the best Mo!
Thank you Mo! You love Arsenal and we love you!
The one that can follow Arteta’s orders “to the point”. Legend.
Super Mo’Nenny – diamond geeza and never deserves some of the vitriol he got on here. But those who did, you know who you are and you have to live with that criticism of a bloke who was maybe never as talented as you may have wanted, but could certainly teach you sofa-surfers a thing or two about loyalty, effort and just being an all-round decent human being.
Good bye and good luck Super Mo.
Good luck Mo! 💪 some unforgettable moments
The streets will never forget Pyramid Pirlo
Love the guy,, but he should have left 3 years ago.
No budget allocation to a proper farewell video? it looked like they put him in a small room and said ”talk”. A little bit poor imo