Mikel Arteta has described midfielder Mohamed Elneny as one of ’s most important and underrated players both on and off the pitch.
Elneny joined the Gunners in 2016 from Swiss side Basel, and while he has helped the club win an and two Community Shields, he has never quite established himself within the first team.
This season, the Egyptian has made just two Premier League starts, one of which came in Arsenal’s last game against on Wednesday night.
Although it was a shock to see him in the starting XI, Elneny was very impressive in the 4-2 win over the Blues, leading many to wonder whether the defensive midfielder will keep his place in the team for Saturday’s crucial game against .
While this question wasn’t directly answered, Arteta spoke highly of the player in his pre-match press conference on Friday, saying: ‘I have always said that for me he’s one of the most important players in the squad.
‘For what he does when you give him the chance to play and for the things that he does when he doesn’t play.
‘He’s a phenomenal person and a great footballer that sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves.’
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and came very close to leaving the club in the last transfer window, so it is possible that his time at the Emirates is coming to an end.
‘We’re going to have a conversation at the end of the season to see what we do but I’m really happy with him,’ Arteta added.
‘He understood that with the squad that we had at the moment [in January] I could not let another player leave.
‘It’s a tough balance because he’s in a period in his career where he’s looking to extend his football life but at the same time, he could be an important of the team for the last part of the season.’
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