Arsene Wenger hints at Elneny stay

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger dropped a huge hint regarding the future of midfielder Mohamed Elneny implying that the Egyptian will remain at the club.

Elneny has not enjoyed much success at Arsenal and is mostly seen as a bit-part player in the team, The 25-year old has only made 24 Premier League appearances since his move from Basel and just 34 appearances overall, scoring once. 

This has led to much speculation about the midfielder's future, with Leicester City recently seeing a bid rejected by Arsenal. Turkish giants Galatasaray also registered their interest in Elneny as Arsenal were rumoured to be holding out for a fee of £10 million. 

However, Arsene Wenger's recent comments on Elneny suggests that the Egyptian might have a future at Arsenal after all.  

Speaking to the club's website before the Gunners play host to the Emirates Cup on July 29, Wenger was asked if Elneny fits the new 3-4-3 formation, to which the Frenchman replied: "Yes he does. Elneny is a player who has a fantastic mentality and attitude, and his main target is to help the team. When he plays there, of course, he does extremely well." 

"Of course [he needs to learn the defensive side], but I always felt that a good central midfielder can be a good centre back. With the fact of course that when you're playing in the back four you have to be decisive in the challenges, you have a bit more flexibility in the middle of a back three. He can do that." 

With Arsenal competing on four fronts next season, squad depth is essential and someone with the flexibility and versatility of Elneny could be crucial.