Turkish giants Galatasaray have stepped up their interest in signing Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny, according to Turkish media reports. The Arsenal midfielder has spent last season on loan at Besiktas but he has been already told that he is not part of the Gunners' future plans. A report in the Turkish daily Milliyet revealed on Sunday that Elneny's agents have been in talks with Galatasaray representatives after being given the green light by coach Fatih Terim. A meeting is set to take place this week between the parties to reach an agreement and send an official offer to Arsenal. However, due to their financial struggles, Galatasaray can only afford to sign the 28-year old, who has yet two years remaining in his contract with Arsenal, on loan. Besiktas and Trabzonspor have also shown interest in acquiring Elneny's services but Trabzonspor, who finished second last season, were more likely to succeed given the player's financial disputes with Besiktas over unpaid dues. Trabzonspor, who also seek to sign him on loan, were reportedly in a pole position to conclude the deal but now with Galatasaray in the picture, Elneny might be tempted by their rebuilding project. Elneny has been at Arsenal since 2016 but failed to establish himself at the Emirates and fell out of favor, especially during the tenure of coach Unai Emery. His lack of playing time cost him his place in the Egyptian national team when he was dropped by coach Hossam El-Badry in March for the first time since he made his international debut in 2011. That means regular football will be a decisive factor for Elneny, who hopes to make it to the Africa Cup of Nations Cup and World Cup in 2022. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
