Arsenal Midfielder Mohamed Elneny Urged to Leave With First Team Chances Limited

​Mohamed Elneny's former coach has urged the Arsenal midfielder to leave the Emirates Stadium in January and seek better first team opportunities elsewhere.

Since Unai Emery arrived in the summer and signed Lucas Torreira, Elneny has found himself an outcast, mostly limited to starts in the Europa League. His only Premier League appearance of the season came against Burnley earlier in December.

According to Hamdy Nouh, coach of Elneny's former team El Mokawloon, the 26-year-old must seek a move away from north London in order to reinvigorate his career.

"He needs to leave ​Arsenal in the next transfer market, at least on loan to play more and regain his confidence," Nouh told ​Goal.

"He has been influenced lately by the change in coach and his new style, but I am confident that he will return better than before, because of his great potential and the competitive spirit that will help him get back in."

Elneny joined El Mokawloon as a youth player in 2008 and broke into the senior team two years later, before joining Basel in 2013. Arsene Wenger signed him for Arsenal three years later.

Nouh believes that any club signing Elneny will get a player with both quality and commitment.

"He is one of the best players I have trained, he has a constant desire to learn and develop," said Nouh.

"He is committed to the coach's instructions on and off the pitch, which always helps him to be present mainly with most of the teams he has played for."

Elneny is likely to be involved next weekend when Arsenal visit Blackpool in the FA Cup third round. Before then, ​they face Fulham on New Year's Day.