has urged Arsenal to hand Mohamed Elneny a new contract after being thoroughly impressed with the midfielder in the Gunners’ last two wins.
The Egyptian has been a fringe player for the vast majority of the season, making just three Premier League starts this campaign.
However, two of these starts have come in Arsenal’s last two games, wins over Chelsea and as they regain their position as favourites to grab fourth place in the Premier League.
The 29-year-old’s only other start came back in December and Wright was amazed by how well he played when being drafted in for two huge contests.
The former Gunners striker believes it is exactly this kind of squad player that will be needed if Arsenal want to challenge at the top of the table and in Europe next campaign and they must look to extend Elneny’s stay at the club beyond June, when his contract expires.
‘We are talking about players who came on who do a job for their manager with unbelievable professionalism,’ Wright said on his
‘Elneny may be leaving at the end of the season, you look at that performance and the one against , and you can only think to yourself that if are trying to build a team to get to the top four, you need that back-up player.
‘He has to stay. For him to come in in those two games, which were arguably two of the biggest games in Arsenal’s calendar, those are massive games, and for him to come in – the last time he played was 2 December – and play at that level, you have to say hats off to him.’
Elneny has said that he wants to stay at the Emirates and that he is just waiting for the club to, hopefully, make him an offer.
‘It’s been a long wait for me,’ he said. ‘But you have to believe and 100 per cent I want to get Arsenal into the top four. This is my club for the last six years. They are my family and I will give everything to them until the last minute.
‘I always love a challenge. I don’t decide who plays, but I keep going in training to show how good I am and to make him [Arteta] play me. And if Arsenal say ‘we want you,’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years – I love this club. The contract and stuff – I’m just waiting for the club to decide what they want.’
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