Arsenal contract rebel Mohamed Elneny has made it clear he wants to stay at the north club this summer.
The Egyptian, 29, is out of contract at the end of the season and looked set to leave the club as he rarely featured for the Gunners for much of the current campaign.
However, an unexpected recent resurgence has seen Elneny become a regular starter in the absence of and, according to reports, manager Mikel Arteta now wants to keep the midfielder in his squad for next term.
Speaking to this week, Elneny expressed his affection for Arsenal but suggested he was waiting for the club to offer him an extension.
He said: ‘I’ve said before, if want me, it’s my club, my family, but it’s not my decision. I have to wait for them to say “Mo, we want you”.
‘Since the first day I have been here, it has felt like a family. We really work like that here, it’s such a beautiful club.’
When Elneny played in Arsenal’s 4-2 Premier League victory over Chelsea last month, it was his first start of 2022.
Since then he has formed a strong partnership with Granit Xhaka in midfield and, until their run was ended at Tottenham last Thursday, was on a four-game winning streak.
Elneny has been at Arsenal for six years and, in that time, has played just one season in the Champions League.
Little over a month ago, it would have been unthinkable that he could help the Gunners secure a return to Europe’s top table.
The north Londoners currently sit fifth, two points behind rivals Tottenham, but have a game in hand against Newcastle United on Monday night.
Elneny added: ‘I always believed. I do my job, I let Mikel do his job too and respect his decisions. He always does the right thing for the team, that’s what I believe.
‘Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka were playing and doing really well, there was never anything to explain, I understood. I just knew I had to be ready, we work as a team and in football everything can change in one second.
‘When you suddenly are playing and the fans can see you, when you feel you play well, when you’re winning, you feel that change. I’m really proud when I hear something good about me, and they see how hard I work for this club.’
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