January is upon us and once again us Arsenal fans in particular all feel the need to spend and bring in new faces, especially with Arsenal’s consistent injury record as well as having their best chance in a number of years to challenge for the title.
One that seems to be nearly over the line is the signing of Mohamed Elneny from FC Basel pending a work permit.
Elneny will most likely provide a different option for an Arsenal midfield filled with similar attack-minded players.
Not “world class”, but could be the ideal squad player
Elneny however isn’t described as “world class” quality and it remains to be seen if he is one who will strive in better conditions (Premier League matches and in training sessions) or one who - for five or so million pounds at the age of 23 - would be the ideal squad player, and could do a job without affecting the status-quo of any first team player’s starting place.
However, it should be noted that Elneny is not a ball winning midfielder, not a direct cover for Francis Coquelin, and resembles more of a box to box midfielder who will cover a lot of ground.
Temperament and technical ability in question
Elneny’s temperament has been a weakness of his in the clips I’ve seen of him thus far.
His overall technical ability also remains in question and doubt in comparison to Arsenal’s other midfielders such as Cazorla and Ozil, who are known for their immense technical ability.
Positions up for grabs
With the impending departures of Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini in the summer, there are positions up for grabs in the Arsenal squad, so whether Elneny proves to be a success remains a mystery .
For such a small fee and with Champions League football under his belt I am convinced he resembles tremendous value, however is this the sort of player Arsenal need to spur on their title challenge?
Written by Pierce Hughes
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