Arsenal U-turn has Mohamed Elneny set for new contract 7 months after he was up for sale

Arsenal want to hand midfielder Mohamed Elneny a new deal.

The 25-year-old has two years left on the contract he signed when he arrived from Swiss club Basel in January 2016.

Elneny has made 25 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once. And while the Gunners were willing to listen to offers for him in the summer they now want to keep the Egypt international, having sold fellow holding midfielder Francis Coquelin to Valencia two months ago.

Team-mate Jack Wilshere, meanwhile, is being hampered over a new deal of his own by his famously lengthy injury record.

Arsenal believe that, despite Wilshere being linked with Everton, the Toffees actually have other midfield targets, limiting the playmaker’s options.

The 26-year-old — recalled to the England squad on Thursday for this month’s friendlies against Holland and Italy — has rejected an offer from the Gunners which required him to take a pay cut.

Wilshere wants a bigger basic wage than his £110,000-a-week, excluding bonuses, that the club are prepared to offer. Arsenal have even proposed increments in his basic weekly wage if he plays blocks of games – 10, 15, 20 – but he has turned them down so far.

Although he is now finally fit and playing well for the Londoners, injuries have wreaked havoc on Wilshere’s career at the club. Even a loan spell at Bournemouth last season was cut short by a hairline fracture to his left fibula.

He suffered an ankle fracture before the 2011/12 season, causing him to miss the entire campaign.

There was surgery at the end of the following season and he then broke his fibula during pre-season ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.

This current injury-free spell has led to suggestions he could extend his stay at boyhood club Arsenal beyond his current deal expiring in the summer.

Last week, however, Wilshere insisted “things have changed” after expressing initial optimism.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger appeared to suggest the club were sticking to their guns this week by maintaining their position remains the same.