Arsenal announce Mohamed Elneny contract extension

Arsenal have announced that Mohamed Elneny has signed a new one-year contract with the club.

The Egypt international was due to become a free agent at the end of the season but will now remain on the books at the Emirates until the end of the 2023-24 campaign at least.

Elneny could have left Arsenal on a free transfer at the end of last season too, but Mikel Arteta regards the 30-year-old as a hugely valuable member of the squad and offered him a new one-year deal.

That new contract also included an option to extend for an additional 12 months, but Elneny is understood to have signed a fresh deal rather than having his extension triggered.

Elneny - who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery back in January - expressed his joy at signing a new deal with the club he has represented since 2016, making him the Gunners' current longest-serving player.

Another year of Mo ❤️

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2023

"I'm so happy, I love this club and our supporters so much and I'll give everything to help us be the best we can be, every day I'm here," Elneny told arsenal.com.

"It makes me so proud to have represented this amazing club since 2016. The spirit and togetherness we have in our squad right now is so positive and I'm so happy I have extended my contract."

Elneny was signed by Arsene Wenger from Basel back in January 2016, and the Egypt international has since scored six goals and set up 10 more in 155 appearances for the club in all tournaments.

The midfielder has become renowned for long-range goals during his time at the Emirates, although his most recent strike for the club was a header in January's FA Cup third-round win over Oxford United.

Elneny - who has won one FA Cup and two Community Shields during his time at Arsenal - had only made eight appearances in the 2022-23 season prior to going under the knife, including one Premier League start against Fulham back in August.

A new chapter begins in my journey with Arsenal. I just signed a new contract 😍 Arsenal for me isn't just a club I joined 7 years ago, which makes me the longest serving player currently ☺️ Arsenal is home, family, happiness, growth, and ambition. My Arsenal family, I love you♥️ pic.twitter.com/yOTw48O2xN

— Mohamed ELNeny (@ElNennY) February 21, 2023

The 30-year-old subsequently missed two months of action with a hamstring issue sustained in that win over the Cottagers, and he has not played in the Premier League since coming off the bench in the 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on New Year's Eve.

News of Elneny's surgery led to Arsenal moving for Jorginho on deadline day, completing a £12m deal for the former Chelsea man, who is now competing with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey for midfield starts after Albert Sambi Lokonga left for Crystal Palace on loan.

Despite extending Elneny's stay, Arsenal are expected to spend big on a new midfielder in the summer, having tried and failed to bring Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo to the club in January.

The Gunners had two bids rejected for the Ecuadorian starlet and may have harmed their chances of striking a summer deal with their relentless pursuit in January, with Brighton insisting that Caicedo was not for sale under any circumstances.

West Ham United's Declan Rice is now said to be at the top of Arsenal's wishlist for the 2023-24 campaign, while Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi has also been linked with a move to North London.