Mohamed Elneny had transfer offers from clubs in three countries, but extending his deal with Arsenal was always his priority.

Mohamed Elneny signed a contract extension with Arsenal on Tuesday, agreeing a deal to 2024.

The midfielder previously had a contract to 2023, plus a one-year option to extend. However, he signed a totally new deal on lower wages instead of activating that option.

This made sense for Elneny, as it secures his future while he recovers from injury with Arsenal. If the Gunners had opted against activating his extension, he would’ve been an injured free agent this summer.

On Arsenal’s end, they save a bit of money over the next few months due to the wage drop, and then they’ll hopefully have the midfielder fit and available again on lower wages next season. So it works for them too.

But there was another option on the table, for Elneny to move on a free transfer.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Elneny had received approaches from Italy, Spain, and Turkey as his initial contract with Arsenal ran down.

The 30-year-old’s priority was always Arsenal, and eventually, he got the new deal he was hoping for.

It’s not currently known exactly when Elneny will return from his knee injury. The Egypt international is set to be out for the rest of the season, at least, but there’s no timeframe beyond that.

Knee injuries can be some of the most serious for footballers, lasting for up to a year, and Elneny only had surgery last month.

So it may be well into the new season before Elneny returns to action, but for now, we can remain optimistic it will be sooner.