Former Arsenal captain Gilberto Silva has hit out at the treatment of Mohamed Elneny.

Ex-Gunners manager Unai Emery this season sent the Egyptian out on loan to Besiktas, inserting an optional buy-out clause in the deal.

"In the last few years, the situation has been difficult at Arsenal," Gilberto told France Football. "They have very similar players in midfield, with profiles that resemble each other and not really players of the profile of Patrick Vieira, or even my profile.

"The only individual who resembled [us], that could have been Mohamed Elneny, but he didn't play. But they have not really had those types of players to cover the defensive midfield position.

"Arsenal always plays positively, trying to deploy an attacking game, and it is not easy to find someone to marry the ability to play the forward game and to do the work in the shadows in the defensive phases."