Transfer Rumors: Arsenal Holds On To Midfielder, Thumbs Down Galatasaray Offer

Arsenal has rejected a bid from Galatasaray S.K. for midfielder Mohamed Elneny, a report has said.

Galatasaray reached out to the Gunners this week to explore the possibility of signing Elneny, Sky Sports reported. However, Arsenal reportedly sees Elneny as a part of their plans for this season, suggesting that the Turkish side may not be able to close a deal for the 29-year-old midfielder before its domestic transfer window closes Wednesday.

With just a year remaining in Elneny's current contract with Arsenal, Galatasaray, and any other team that may have interest in him, may have to wait until after the current season to try to get a deal done.

Elneny arrived in Emirates Stadium in 2016 from Swiss club Basel. He previously spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Besiktas.

It should be worth noting that Elneny got a new lease on life after Mikel Arteta took over from Unai Emery. He was utilized by Arteta last season, appearing 41 times across all competitions.

That sudden turn of events may have been one of the reasons behind Galatasaray's interest. Acquiring him would give the Turkish club added Premier League experience.

Already in the fold for GS are DeAndre Yedlin (formerly of Newcastle), Patrick van Aanholt (formerly of Crystal Palace), Ryan Babel (formerly of Fulham) and Mbaye Diagne (formerly of West Brom).

The interest in Elneny may also partly stem from Galatasaray’s failed bid for Amadou Diawara. Sky Sport Italia initially reported that the midfielder was close to moving out of AS Roma and heading to GS where he may get more playing time.

However, an update from RomaPress said that the entourage of the Guinean player rejected the offer of Galatasaray. This means that the 24-year-old is likely to stay with the La Lupa until at least January.

The reported offer for Diawara was for a loan with the option to make the deal permanent. The actual money involved was not disclosed in the report.

Keeping Elneny makes sense for the Gunners, whose only other players manning the midfield are Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. That mix may do for the current season, meaning any move out of Emirates Stadium by Elneny will likely only take place in January at the earliest.