OPINION
Whichever way you look at it, Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal Football Club is slowly coming to an end.
Unless the Gunners win the Europa League this season, there looks to be little chance of the Frenchman staying on past the summer, despite having one more year left on his deal.
And, if the latest report is to be believed, Wenger may be hammering that final nail into his coffin even earlier than expected.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal have performed a surprising U-turn and are set to offer Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny a new deal at the Emirates.
Just seven months ago the Gunners had put Elneny up for sale, and yet now they are ready to offer him a new deal, while driving a hard bargain with fellow midfielder Jack Wilshere.
While there is no doubt that Elneny has improved since the summer, and has taken on a bigger role since the departure of Francis Coquelin to Valencia, is he really a player of Arsenal standard?
The Egyptian is solid enough in the middle, but what does he actually offer to the side?
His passing is pretty average, he is not particularly big, and he does not score many goals at all, having netted just twice in 66 Gunners appearances.
Wilshere on the other hand has been Arsenal’s best player this season, and yet the club are refusing to budge on their contract offer which would see his basic wage decrease.
While understandable due to Wilshere’s injury record, the man at least deserves a new contract on the same money.
These two simultaneous moves from Wenger and Arsenal show poor decision making and a lack of loyalty to one of their longest-serving players.
If Wenger really wants to take Arsenal back to the glory days gone by, then players like Elneny are quite simply not the answer, no matter how good he has been in recent weeks.
The Gunners should be aiming higher, and no doubt will be once a new coach comes in.