"I want to stay and finish my career there" - Arsenal star expresses his love for the Gunners, admits he doesn't want to leave the club

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has expressed his affection for the club and has opened up about the contract extension he signed earlier this year. The Egypt international insists that he wants to retire at the Emirates.

He told Standard Sport:

“It was one of the happiest days in my life. The way they spoke to me, the way the entire club was happy about this decision, they made me cry this day. Arsenal football club, they know I love them 100 per cent, so much. They know I don’t want to leave. I want to stay and finish my career there, 100 per cent."

Elneny added:

“I was injured and my contract was finishing and I could not play anymore last season, and they came straight away after I got injured, the next day and said: ‘Mo, what sort of contract will it have to be? We love you here and we and we want you to stay’. Really, this club is great.”

Elneny joined Arsenal from FC Basel in 2016. However, the midfielder has had a rocky career at the Emirates, failing to cement his place in the club's starting XI.

He missed a major part of last season due to thigh problems and a knee injury, registering just five Premier League appearances. The latter has kept him on the sidelines for nearly 250 days, missing around 30 games in that time. It has also prevented him from featuring in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.

However, he has featured in an Arsenal shirt, albeit a brief eight-minute appearance, in the Carabao Cup this term against Brentford last month.

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"Five years ago I couldn’t relate" - Thierry Henry admits he struggled to watch Arsenal play before Mikel Arteta's arrival

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has admitted that he found it difficult to watch his former club play with poor form prior to Mikel Arteta's arrival.

The Frenchman insists that he attended the club's matches because he had to as a fan, not because he wanted to.

Henry said on The Rest is Football podcast (as quoted by Football365):

“Five years ago I couldn’t relate to the team. I just couldn’t. I was going to the games because I had to not because I wanted to. It was just because I was an Arsenal fan not as I wanted to see them play."

The former Barcelona forward added, lavishing praise on Arteta for the success he has found at the Emirates:

"But now I can see what they’re about. I have mad respect for what Mikel has done. The way he has put the team back.”

The Gunners have been in exceptional form lately, thanks to the Spanish manager's revival of the team. The North London outfit displayed poor form prior to his arrival and were out of the UEFA Champions League for six years.

They then emerged as title contenders during the 2022-23 campaign, giving rivals Manchester City a run for their money. While Pep Guardiola's side ended up defending their crown, the Gunners did secure a second-place finish and a ticket to European football.